# Frontier Airlines to Bring SpaceX’s Starlink WiFi Aboard Starting in 2027
Frontier Airlines, long known as one of the last U.S. holdouts on offering internet access in the sky, is finally getting connected. The Denver-based ultra-low-cost carrier announced this week that it has struck a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to install Starlink satellite internet across its fleet, with the first equipped aircraft expected to take flight in early 2027.
The move ends years of hesitation from Frontier, which had repeatedly cited cost and weight concerns as reasons for avoiding inflight WiFi altogether. Now, the budget airline is positioning itself to offer what it’s calling the fastest WiFi in the sky — a dramatic shift for a carrier built around stripped-down service and low fares.
## A Long-Awaited Reversal
,Frontier’s first Airbus plane equipped with Starlink internet will roll out in early 2027, the airline said Tuesday., The announcement caps off a saga that stretches back several years. ,CNBC reported in 2022 that Frontier was in talks with Starlink to add its first in-flight Wi-Fi service., At the time, ,Frontier was one of the last U.S. holdouts to add Wi-Fi, and former CEO Barry Biffle previously said the airline was hesitant to add weight to its planes with the equipment it would need for the service.,
Biffle had been candid about the airline’s reluctance in earlier interviews, framing the decision as both a cost issue and an operational one. He had noted that skipping WiFi allowed the carrier to keep its planes lighter and more fuel-efficient, while also pointing out that business travelers — the demographic that most values inflight connectivity — weren’t the airline’s core customer base.
That calculus appears to have shifted as Starlink has scaled up its aviation business and driven down costs for airline partners.
## Part of a Larger Industry Wave
,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., ,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.,
The scale of the rollout is substantial. According to The Points Guy, ,one thousand planes in the Indigo portfolio will receive the Starlink service.,
Frontier’s decision also reflects the broader momentum SpaceX has built in the aviation sector. ,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, increasingly turn to satellite-based connectivity to replace older, slower systems. Bloomberg reported that ,the decision adds Denver-based Frontier to the growing list of carriers, including Southwest Airlines Co. and United Airlines Holdings Inc., with plans to use Starlink, expanding SpaceX’s lead over rival Amazon.com Inc. in the race to sign up aviation customers.,
Other domestic carriers are further along in the process. ,Installations are in progress at United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines, owned by Alaska, already has the tech on its Airbus jets., Meanwhile, ,Delta Air Lines and JetBlue are planning to upgrade their Wi-Fi technology with comparable service from Amazon, but not for a couple more years.,
## Will Passengers Pay for It?
One key question remains unanswered: whether Frontier will charge passengers for the service or offer it as a perk. ,A Frontier spokeswoman declined to say whether flyers could use the service for free, though major airlines that have signed deals with Starlink have been offering Wi-Fi complimentary for loyalty program members.,
That’s not guaranteed across the board, however. The Points Guy noted that ,earlier this month, Panama-based Copa Airlines revealed it would be one of the first global carriers to charge most flyers a fee to access Starlink, with exceptions for customers with elite status, or those who have Starlink as their home internet provider., Given Frontier’s history of charging separately for nearly every add-on service, from checked bags to seat selection, industry watchers say it’s plausible the airline could adopt a similar paid-access model, potentially reserving free access for elite members of its loyalty program.
## Part of a Broader Upgrade Strategy
The Starlink announcement doesn’t stand alone. It arrives as Frontier works to reposition itself in a increasingly competitive discount market. ,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, and Frontier is planning to debut first-class seats next year.,
Additionally, ,the Starlink announcement follows Frontier’s planned introduction of first-class seating next year and recent changes to its loyalty program., Together, these moves suggest an airline trying to shed some of its bare-bones reputation without abandoning the low-fare model that built its brand.
## What’s Next
While Frontier hasn’t detailed a full fleet-wide timeline beyond the initial 2027 rollout, the addition of Starlink marks one of the most significant service upgrades in the airline’s history. As satellite internet technology matures and becomes cheaper to deploy, more budget carriers are likely to follow suit, narrowing the gap between full-service and no-frills flying experiences.
For now, Frontier passengers will have to wait until early 2027 to get their first taste of high-speed WiFi at 30,000 feet. Whether that connectivity comes free or with a price tag remains to be seen — but for a carrier that once resisted onboard internet altogether, the shift signals a notable evolution in how Frontier plans to compete in the years ahead.