United Airlines Rolls Out Starlink Wi-Fi On Over 300 Planes, Targets 800 Planes By Year-End

United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) has announced an expansion of its deal with Elon Musk-backed Starlink satellite internet service to offer in-flight Wi-Fi.

Starlink Available On 300+ Aircraft

In a post on the social media platform X on Monday, the airline announced the expansion of its Starlink partnership. United said that Starlink was now available on 300+ planes, which was nearly the airline's "entire regional fleet."

The airline shared that it expects to also offer Starlink across "more than half our full fleet (bringing the total to 800+ aircraft!) by the end of this year."

The Chicago, Illinois-based airline also outlined that the service was already used by over 7 million passengers, adding that it was free for the airline's MileagePlus subscribers.

United Airlines Earnings

The news comes as United's earnings beat analyst expectations, as the company posted adjusted earnings of $3.10 per share, exceeding the market consensus of $2.93 per share. This, despite a $250 million impact it recorded due to the historic government shutdown last year.

Starlink Vs Ryanair

Musk recently faced off against Ryanair Holdings PLC’s (NASDAQ:RYAAY) CEO Michael O'Leary over the Irish flight operator's refusal to offer Starlink on its flights. SpaceX's VP of Starlink Engineering, Michael Nicolls, explained that the fuel drag caused by Starlink terminals was negligible.

O'Leary, meanwhile, reiterated his stance on Starlink, saying that the fuel drag penalties continue to remain a headwind for incorporating the technology. However, he then shared that he expects all airlines to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi as the technology improves.

SpaceX-xAI Merger

Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, announced it was merging with SpaceX, with the companies valued at close to $250 billion and $1 trillion, respectively.

The merger could help boost Musk's orbital datacenter goals, which have been touted by the billionaire as a more cost-effective alternative to ground-based datacenters on Earth.

United Airlines scores well on the Value metric and offers a favorable price trend in the Long term.

Price Action: UAL surged 4.92% at Market close on Monday, climbing 0.34% further to $107.72 during the after-hours session.

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