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Korean Air and Asiana Airlines said on Sept. 11 that they will begin offering free in-flight Wi-Fi powered by Starlink from Sept. 15. / Courtesy of the companies

Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will begin offering free in-flight Wi-Fi powered by Starlink from Sept. 15. Ahead of the launch of their integrated airline in December, the carriers are expanding high-speed onboard internet services to strengthen customer service.

Korean Air and Asiana said on Sept. 11 that they will begin providing free in-flight Wi-Fi on select flights using Starlink’s low Earth orbit, or LEO, satellite constellation from Sept. 15.

Korean Air will initially offer the service on four retrofitted aircraft — three Airbus A350-900s and one Boeing 777-300ER. The aircraft will mainly operate medium- and long-haul routes to destinations including the Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia, while also serving some short-haul routes.

Asiana Airlines will initially launch the service on 10 aircraft, including nine Airbus A350-900s and one A330-300. These aircraft will also primarily operate medium- and long-haul routes to the Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia.

Starlink-powered in-flight Wi-Fi will be provided free of charge regardless of cabin class. Passengers can switch their smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices to airplane mode and then connect to the respective airline’s onboard Wi-Fi network.

On Korean Air flights, passengers can access the service by entering the name and seat number shown on their boarding pass and then watching an advertisement. Asiana passengers can also connect to the onboard Wi-Fi network and gain internet access after watching an advertisement.

Using Starlink’s low Earth orbit satellite network, the service is designed to provide faster and more stable connectivity than conventional in-flight internet. Passengers will be able to stream video and music, browse the web, use messaging apps and play online games, as well as transfer large files and use cloud-based collaboration tools.

However, some functions, including internet-based voice and video calls and live broadcasts on social media, will be restricted in consideration of other passengers and aviation security.

Korean Air plans to expand Starlink service to most of its operating fleet by the end of 2027. Aircraft that have not yet been retrofitted will continue to offer the existing paid in-flight Wi-Fi service for the time being.

Asiana will also gradually expand Starlink to the rest of its fleet, beginning with its remaining A350-900 and A330-300 aircraft.

“We plan to move quickly with the necessary work so that more passengers can use faster in-flight Wi-Fi free of charge after the launch of the integrated airline,” a Korean Air official said.

“We are making every effort to install and upgrade the necessary equipment so customers can enjoy unrestricted high-speed internet free of charge even in the air,” an Asiana Airlines official said. “By introducing Starlink, we plan to provide differentiated services in step with the launch of the integrated airline.”

                                                                                                             Kim Han-seul