KLM’s Long-Haul Wi-Fi Problem Is About to Get a Starlink Fix

KLM released this image with its announcement of free Starlink Wi-Fi on intercontinental flights. Credit: KLM

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has picked SpaceX’s Starlink to deliver free high-speed Wi-Fi on its intercontinental flights starting in mid-2027, the Amsterdam-based carrier announced on its 107th anniversary, and Elon Musk welcomed the deal on X Thursday.

According to KLM’s press release, the service will be free in all cabin classes and will roll out in phases. Passengers will get unlimited internet for email, browsing, music, gaming and streaming films and series, with Starlink’s low Earth orbit satellites covering ocean crossings and remote routes.

“We are making a long-standing wish of our passengers a reality: fast, free Wi-Fi on intercontinental flights starting in mid-2027,” KLM CEO Marjan Rintel said. “This will allow passengers to stay connected even high above the ocean.”

Access runs through Flying Blue, the free Air France-KLM loyalty program, so passengers will need to log in with a member account to get online. Travellers who aren’t members can sign up before their flight or during it through the onboard portal, and once registered they can use the free Wi-Fi on any equipped aircraft.

Musk posted “Starlink coming to KLM!” at 6:08 a.m. PT Thursday, and the post had topped 1.1 million views within a few hours.

KLM’s current long-haul Wi-Fi runs on a two-tier setup in which Flying Blue members get a free Message Pass on intercontinental flights with Wi-Fi, but it only handles text in apps like WhatsApp and Messenger, with no photos, videos or audio because of limited bandwidth, according to KLM’s Wi-Fi page. Email, social media and streaming all require a paid Wi-Fi Pass.

The intercontinental upgrade follows KLM’s move to free Wi-Fi on European flights on January 22. That service runs on Viasat, not Starlink, and is coming to all of KLM’s A321neo and Embraer 195-E2 jets plus part of its Boeing 737-800 fleet. Viasat says that contract covers 68 aircraft, including KLM Cityhopper’s. KLM’s Starlink announcement only mentions intercontinental flights.

Sister airline Air France is well ahead, having switched on free Starlink Wi-Fi in September 2025 and started with two Embraer 190s and two Airbus A220s before adding the A350 for long-haul routes. It offers the service in every cabin to Flying Blue members. Air France plans to cover its entire fleet by the end of 2026, and it said on LinkedIn in late September that Starlink was live on 60% of its aircraft.

Elsewhere in Europe, Aer Lingus finished fitting free Starlink Wi-Fi to its 14 narrow-body transatlantic jets last week, and SWISS put its first Starlink-equipped A320neo into service in late September, following parent Lufthansa. Royal Air Maroc said Wednesday it had picked Starlink for service starting in 2027, making it the first African airline to do so.

On the same day, American Airlines said it will bring Starlink to its entire mainline fleet of more than 1,000 Airbus and Boeing jets, with installations beginning in early 2027, according to American’s newsroom. The airline says its Starlink Performance Aero Terminals can deliver up to 1 Gbps each.

Toronto and Montreal are where Canadians are most likely to notice KLM’s long-haul upgrades first. KLM’s first Airbus A350 will make its first commercial flight to Toronto, which KLM will serve 12 times a week this winter, and the jet will also fly to Montreal as more A350s arrive, according to KLM’s winter schedule announcement. KLM hasn’t said whether the A350s will be among the first aircraft to get Starlink.

KLM’s release doesn’t say how many aircraft will get Starlink, which types go first, when installations will finish, how fast the connection will be or what the deal is worth. A mid-2028 completion target has been reported from KLM’s anniversary event, but it doesn’t appear in the airline’s own announcement. KLM also hasn’t said whether travellers who skip Flying Blue will be able to buy access, or whether its Viasat-equipped European fleet will ever switch over.

Anyone flying KLM across the Atlantic this winter will still be on the old system, since the first Starlink installs are at least eight months away. Once they land, though, Air France and KLM passengers will be on the same satellite network, closing a gap that has split the group’s two flag carriers since Air France switched on Starlink last year.