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Frontier Airlines
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Frontier Airlines and four other budget carriers with more than 1,000 planes between them will debut in-flight Wi-Fi early next year from SpaceX's Starlink, another win for the satellite internet provider.
Frontier's first Airbus plane equipped with Starlink internet will roll out in early 2027, the airline said Tuesday. CNBC reported in 2022 that Frontier was in talks with Starlink to add its first in-flight Wi-Fi service.
A Frontier spokeswoman declined to say whether flyers could use the service for free. Major airlines that have signed deals with Starlink have been offering Wi-Fi complimentary for loyalty program members.
Frontier was one of the last U.S. holdouts to add Wi-Fi. Former CEO Barry Biffle previously said the airline was hesitant to to add weight to its planes with the equipment it would need for the service.
Starlink, a part of Elon Musk's SpaceX, has signed deals with more than 40 carriers around the world, including United Airlines and American Airlines, as airlines ramp up their in-flight services and customers grow to expect at-home-quality internet in the sky. The airlines declined to disclose the terms of the agreements. SpaceX didn't immediately comment.
The carriers in the latest Starlink deal — Frontier, Mexico's Volaris, European budget carrier Wizz, Chile's Jetsmart, and the Philippines' Cebu Pacific — all share private equity firm Indigo Partners as an investor, which is led by serial airline investor Bill Franke.
Budget carriers have been under pressure to go upmarket as larger rivals post revenue growth from the front of the cabin, upending discounters' once-profitable model of no-frills seating and amenities. Frontier is planning to debut first-class seats next year.
