United has signed what it says is the industry’s largest agreement of its kind with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s satellite Wi-Fi service to the airline’s mainline and regional aircraft fleet at no additional cost to passengers.

The airline expects to have Starlink on all of its fleet – more than 1,000 planes – over ‘several’ years. Testing begins in early 2025 with the first passenger flights expected later that year. United will be the first carrier in the world to commit to offering Starlink service at this scale.

“Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do onboard a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback – more content, that’s more personalized. United’s culture of innovation is, once again, delivering big for our customers.”

READ: Starlink connectivity being tested by airBaltic

“We’re excited to team up with United Airlines to transform the inflight experience,” said Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer at SpaceX. “With Starlink onboard your United flight, you’ll have access to the world’s most advanced high-speed internet from gate to gate, and all the miles in between.”

The new service will also benefit the airline’s crew – United pilots, flight attendants, technicians and gate agents all use mobile devices to help run the operation and serve customers. As United rolls out the service more broadly, it will give those teams the same  capabilities in the air, as they have on the ground including when working in remote location or when traditional services might be impacted like during power outages or natural disasters.