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Qatar Airways Equips 30th Boeing 777 with Starlink, Outpacing Original Timeline by 70 Per Cent

Since October 2024, over 50 per cent of Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777 aircraft are now equipped with Starlink, in a seamless process with no impact on operations or flight schedules

DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways, the largest global airline to offer Starlink’s high-speed internet on board, has achieved a new milestone with the installation of Starlink on its 30th aircraft, equipping over 50 per cent of its Boeing 777 fleet. This achievement comes four months after the airline launched the world’s first Boeing 777 Starlink-enabled flight and two months after surpassing its initial 2024 target of 12 installations by upgrading 15 aircraft with Starlink connectivity.

Soaring ahead of competitors, Qatar Airways has significantly accelerated its Starlink rollout, cutting installation time per aircraft from three or two days to just 9.5 hours, reducing the retrofit by nearly three-quarters of the initial timeline. The airline has ensured a seamless process with no impact on operations or flight schedules by carefully timing the installations to fit within a 12-hour overnight timeframe.

The World’s Best Airline, as voted by Skytrax in 2024, had initially planned to complete the installations in two years; however, Qatar Airways has optimised its process and will complete the full Boeing 777 fleet rollout in the second quarter of 2025. This will allow more passengers to stay connected free of charge throughout their journey, streaming their favourite shows and live sports, enjoying online gaming, or working seamlessly at 35,000 feet.

Speaking at Web Summit Qatar 2025, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “We are delivering on our commitment to provide our passengers the best in-flight connectivity at an unprecedented pace. In just four months since launching the world’s first Boeing 777 Starlink-equipped flight, we have already installed this ground-breaking service on 30 aircraft—far exceeding our initial targets. This reflects the commendable efficiency and dedication of our team. Starlink Wi-Fi is a game-changer for our passengers who will soon enjoy uninterrupted connectivity on even more routes.”

Qatar Airways is simplifying a complex process by replacing existing systems and installing new ones at record speed while maintaining the highest safety standards—achieving efficiency beyond the standard installation process.

With one of the fastest and most ambitious Starlink rollouts in the industry, Qatar Airways is once again setting new standards for in-flight connectivity by keeping passengers connected wherever they fly.

Arabic press release: LINK

About Qatar Airways

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways continues to be synonymous with excellence, receiving for the 13th time Skytrax’s ‘World’s Best Business Class’ award, and the ‘World's Best Business Class Airline Lounge’ for the eighth time. As the leading connector in the region, Qatar Airways is now the 14-time winner of the ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ award. The airline has advanced its services across the Middle East this winter season, increasing its daily flights by 14 per cent.

Along with continuing to retain its 5-Star Airline Rating, Qatar Airways has received a global-first recognition of the ‘World’s Best Onboard Wi-Fi’ by Skytrax this year. The accolade recognises Qatar Airways’ Starlink connectivity rollout on over 150 widebody aircraft, connecting more than 25 million passengers to date with up to 340 daily Starlink-enabled flights. Globally, Qatar Airways remains the unprecedented nine-time winner of Skytrax ‘World’s Best Airline’ title.

This winter, Qatar Airways will fly to over 170 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport. The airport has been previously recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for 11 consecutive years, as well as ‘World’s Best Airport Shopping’ for the third year in a row by Skytrax. Hamad International Airport has previously been named the ‘World’s Best Airport’ by Skytrax three out of the past six years.

Qatar Airways received the 2025 Platinum performance recognition by Cirium, the leading aviation analytics organisation, for its reliability and operational performance. The recognition is a testament to the airline’s unwavering commitment to providing seamless and proven operations as part of its award-winning passenger experience.

Qatar Airways was the first Airline in the Middle East to be certified to the highest level of IATA’s Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, based on recognised environmental management system principles, including the ISO 14001. As an inaugural signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration in March 2016, Qatar Airways became the first airline globally to be certified to the industry standard for the prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking in aviation.

For further information, visit qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways mobile app.

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