COLOGNE, Germany - The Lufthansa Group in Cologne, Germany, announced plans to equip its entire fleet of about 850 aircraft with high-speed broadband connectivity beginning in 2026, extending the upgrade to both in-service aircraft and new deliveries. The airline group selected Starlink in Hawthorne, Calif., as its in-flight connectivity provider.
Starlink’s aviation service operates primarily in the Ku band and uses a large low Earth orbit satellite constellation to deliver higher throughput and lower latency than traditional geostationary satellite-based systems.
Aircraft will be equipped with low-profile, electronically steered phased-array antennas mounted on the fuselage. Unlike mechanically steered antennas used in legacy systems, phased-array antennas electronically steer beams to track satellites, enabling rapid handoffs and continuous connectivity as the aircraft moves along its flight path.
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Space, ground, and air
Data is transmitted between the aircraft and multiple Starlink satellites, then routed through geographically distributed ground gateways connected to terrestrial internet infrastructure. The architecture enables frequent satellite handovers and shorter signal paths compared with geostationary systems, reducing round-trip latency and supporting higher data rates.
Onboard, the satellite link integrates with cabin networking equipment that distributes Wi-Fi connectivity to passenger devices and seatback displays. Lufthansa Group said the increased bandwidth will support streaming, cloud-based applications, and other data-intensive services during flight.
The company said the rollout will make it the largest airline group in Europe to deploy Starlink-based broadband connectivity across its fleet. The service will be offered free of charge to status customers and Travel ID users across all travel classes.
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The company says its connectivity upgrade is part of broader investments in fleet modernization and digital passenger services, reflecting the growing role of satellite communications, electronically steered antennas, and onboard networking as core aircraft systems rather than optional amenities.
"In our anniversary year, in which we are celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th birthday, we have decided to introduce a new high-speed internet solution from Starlink for all our airlines," said Dieter Vranckx, chief commercial officer of the Lufthansa Group. "Connectivity on board plays an important role today, and with Starlink, we are investing in the best available technology to improve the travel experience for our customers."
Installation of the Starlink system is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026, with full fleet deployment targeted by 2029. Additional technical and operational details are expected to be released later this year.
