Lufthansa Group to begin Starlink Wi-Fi rollout on A320neo

Lufthansa Group has announced the schedule for introducing Starlink-powered inflight internet across its fleet, with the first aircraft equipped with the new system returning to service next week. The initial deployment involves an A320neo, marking the start of a process the group says will eventually cover more than 800 aircraft across its ten operating brands.

The connectivity service will be offered free of charge to members of the airline's Miles & More loyalty programme and to holders of a Lufthansa Group Travel ID account. As with previous inflight Wi-Fi offerings, the service will be underwritten by a sponsor, with Mastercard continuing in that role through the transition to the new provider.

Alongside the technical changeover, Lufthansa Group is rebranding its inflight internet product. The existing service, known as FlyNet, will be renamed Lufthansa Group Wi-Fi. The company has described the new offering as a significant improvement in onboard connectivity compared with the previous system, though it did not provide independent performance data to support that characterisation.

The airline group also outlined usage rules for the new service, drawn from what it described as passenger survey feedback. Passengers will be expected to use headphones at all times when listening to audio or watching video content. Voice and video calls will not be permitted, although passive participation in meetings or webinars, such as listening without speaking, will be allowed under the new policy.

No specific timeline was given for when the broader fleet-wide installation across all ten brands would be completed.