Qatar Airways becomes first airline to equip Boeing 787-8 with Starlink, expands record-widebody rollout

Qatar Airways has become the first airline globally to enable Boeing 787-8 aircraft with Starlink, extending its lead as the operator of the world’s first and largest Starlink-equipped widebody fleet.

The carrier has also completed the installation of Starlink across its entire Airbus A350 fleet within a record-breaking eight months, concluding in December 2025.

Qatar Airways is now operating three Starlink-connected Boeing 787 Dreamliners, bringing the total number of its Starlink-enabled widebody aircraft to nearly 120.

The programme marks the fastest and most ambitious Starlink widebody rollout in global aviation history.

Within just 14 months, Qatar Airways started and completed Starlink installations across its Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 fleets before expanding the technology to its Boeing 787 aircraft.

This progress reinforces the airline’s position as the global leader in Starlink-enabled long-haul and ultra-long-haul connectivity, while also establishing the world’s first and largest Starlink-equipped Airbus A350 fleet.

The milestone builds on Qatar Airways’ role as the aircraft’s global launch customer.

The airline, named the World’s Best Airline by Skytrax in 2025 for the ninth time, is also the first carrier worldwide to secure Starlink certification for the Boeing 787-8.

Qatar Airways Starlink Wi-Fi

Since the launch of the service in October 2024, more than 11 million passengers have already experienced free, gate-to-gate Wi-Fi onboard Qatar Airways flights.

In 2025, Starlink connected over 21m passengers across global airlines. Qatar Airways’ Starlink-connected passengers account for nearly half of that total, with more than 10m travellers becoming the first globally to enjoy complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi on widebody aircraft operating long- and ultra-long-haul routes.

Nearly 120 widebody aircraft — representing more than 58 per cent of Qatar Airways’ widebody fleet across Airbus A350s, Boeing 777s and Boeing 787s — now offer ultra-high-speed connectivity of up to 500 Mbps.

The service enables uninterrupted streaming, video calls and real-time productivity that can exceed many home broadband networks.

The airline continues to expand the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky across a growing number of routes, including flights to the majority of destinations served by Qatar Airways in the Americas and Australia, as well as key routes across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.