European budget carrier Wizz Air says it is “flipping the script” with what it means to fly on an ultra-low-cost airline by announcing a landmark deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink internet company to install broadband-quality in-flight Wi-Fi across its fleet, starting in 2027.
Starlink uses a vast network of low-earth orbit satellites to provide high-speed, low-latency internet, and it is quickly becoming the de facto choice for full-service airlines, who have come to realize that their passengers expect reliable, high-quality in-flight Wi-Fi.
The business case for Strlink on ultra-low-cost airlines is, however, a little less sure, with Europe’s biggest budget carrier, Ryanair, categorically rejecting the idea of installing the service on its massive fleet of Boeing 737s, citing fuel burn concerns from the antenna that sits atop the fuselage.
Starlink refuted those claims, but Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary insisted that he knew what his customers wanted on shorter flights around Europe, and Starlink was very low down the priority list, especially as the cost of installing Starlink would be offset with higher airfares.
Normally, Starlink makes airlines agree to offer its in-flight internet service for free to all passengers across multiple devices, with minimal steps to connect to the internet.
In the case of Wizz Air, however, announcing the deal with Starlink, the Hungary-based carrier made no mention of the service being free.
In fact, it’s understood that when Starlink signed a mammoth deal with European airline conglomerate IAG, which owns the likes of British Airways and Iberia, it specifically allowed the budget brands, Vueling and LEVEL, to charge for Starlink.
“Our customers shouldn’t have to choose between affordable fares and reliable internet onboard to stay connected to the people, work, and moments that matter most,” commented Wizz Air’s chief commercial officer, Ian Malin, after the deal was announced on Monday.
“We’re proud to lead that change by collaborating with Starlink to bring maximum benefit to Wizz Air,” Malin added.
Wizz Air intends to fit Starlink across its entire existing fleet of Airbus A320 series aircraft, as well as all new aircraft deliveries. A timeline for expected completion has not been revealed.
For the last three months of 2025, Wizz Air reported a net loss of €139 million, and the airline issued a profit warning at the outset of the Iran conflict owing to the surging cost of jet fuel.
Last month, however, the airline said that the outlook had improved and that it expected to break even or even make a modest profit for the full year 2026.
Chief executive József Váradi had dismissed claims by arch-rival Michael O’Leary that his company faced bankruptcy if jet fuel prices didn’t drop soon.
Wizz Air said its jet fuel position was highly hedged, meaning that it had locked in fuel prices for most of its needs before costs dramatically rose in March.
While Wizz Air is positioning itself as the first ultra-low-cost airline to choose Starlink, it isn’t the only budget carrier in Europe to have selected the service.
Along with Vueling, the German airline Eurowings also intends to start rolling out Starlink in the second half of 2026. Full service carriers in Europe that have selected Starlink include Aer Lingus, Air Baltic, Air France, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Lufthansa, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, SWISS, and Virgin Atlantic.
