Latvian national air carrier Air Baltic has conducted a test flight to check the operation of the Starlink satellite Internet on board its aircraft, which is necessary to obtain the corresponding certificate from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

According to the airline, the operation of the Starlink Internet was tested on board the Airbus A220-300 aircraft that took off from Riga. During the flight, the operation of the Internet terminal and the quality of the Internet connection were checked.

Air Baltic plans to begin installing Starlink terminals on its aircraft in the first half of 2025, equipping its entire fleet with such terminals. It is assumed that the in-flight Internet access service will be free for Air Baltic passengers.

Currently, about 4.6 million customers around the world use the Starlink satellite Internet, which is being developed by a subsidiary of the American space company SpaceX. Since last year, Starlink, which provides internet access through a network of satellites in low Earth orbit, has begun offering the service to civil aviation.

ORIENT news