United Airlines has suspended its Starlink Wi-Fi service on two dozen regional airliners to fix static interference that occurs while the system is in use, the airline confirmed on Friday. File Photo by Caroline Brehman/EPA-EFE
June 7 (UPI) — Free Starlink internet service on some regional United Airlines flights has been suspended due to static interference.
The airline began offering free Starlink Wi-Fi service during flights in May, but static interference forced United officials to turn off the service on about 24 airliners, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The airline is working with Starlink to correct the problem, which it says does not affect flight safety.
“We expect the service to be back up and running on these aircraft soon,” United officials said. “The fix will be deployed during routine maintenance, and the airline doesn’t anticipate any impact on flight schedules.”
The problem was first revealed by The Points Guy, which reported the issue commonly occurs when new onboard connectivity technologies are installed on aircraft.
United installed the Starlink service on about two dozen regional aircraft but received reports of static interference while the Wi-Fi service was used.
A similar problem arose when United Airlines installed its Viasat connectivity service on its main air fleet. A quick fix solved the problem.
Starlink is a subsidiary of the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX and uses a global network of small satellites to provide subscribers with Wi-Fi service anywhere in the world.