Does easyJet have Wi-Fi? Not yet, but that's going to change. easyJet, which has never offered internet on its flights, announced Monday that it'll install Starlink, the satellite Wi-Fi service run by Elon Musk's SpaceX, across its Airbus fleet. The catch is that you'll be waiting a while, and the airline hasn't said whether you'll have to pay for it.
It's a quick change of heart. Earlier this year, easyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis said the economics of Starlink "aren't quite working for us," while adding that the airline would pick the right service "when the time is right." On Monday, he called it "yet another way we're making travel easy."
When You'll Actually Get It
Installation starts in the first half of 2027, and easyJet expects to finish by early 2028. The planes get fitted one at a time, so for most of 2027 it'll come down to luck whether your flight has it.
The rollout covers easyJet's A320, A320neo and A321neo jets, which is nearly the whole fleet. The exception is the airline's older A319s, the smallest planes it flies, which are being phased out and won't get it. If you're flying easyJet before 2027, plan on no Wi-Fi, so download your shows before you board.
Starlink is a big step up from the in-flight Wi-Fi most travelers remember. It's fast enough to stream video, take video calls and work normally, and passengers on airlines that already use it say it feels closer to home internet than the slow, patchy connections of a few years ago. SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said it means "people can work, stream, or stay in touch without interruption."
easyJet Wi-Fi · Announced Oct. 26
Starlink Is Coming to easyJet. You'll Wait a Bit
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Will It Be Free?
That's the question easyJet hasn't answered. Its announcement said nothing about price, and that matters a lot on an airline built around charging separately for bags, seats and snacks.
Europe's airlines are split. British Airways, Iberia and their sister airline LEVEL are rolling out Starlink for free, with Iberia promising it to everyone in economy, premium economy and business. Air France also offers free Starlink Wi-Fi to anyone who signs up for its free Flying Blue loyalty program, and Aer Lingus just switched it on for flights to the US. Budget airlines are a different story. Vueling, which belongs to the same group as British Airways, will reportedly charge for it, and Wizz Air, which signed its own Starlink deal in June, appears to be heading the same way.
easyJet carried about 94 million passengers last year, more than any other budget airline in Europe besides Ryanair. Whatever it decides will put pressure on its rivals in either direction. Free Wi-Fi would be a real reason to pick easyJet over a competitor, while a fee would make it one more add-on at checkout.
Why Ryanair Is Sitting This Out
The one big holdout is Ryanair, Europe's largest airline. CEO Michael O'Leary has ruled out Starlink, arguing that the antenna on top of the plane creates drag that burns about 2% more fuel. Starlink disputes that, saying the real figure on Ryanair's Boeing 737-800s is about 0.3%. O'Leary has also argued that Ryanair's passengers simply wouldn't pay for Wi-Fi on short flights, and he's traded public jabs with Musk over it.
For now, that leaves Ryanair passengers with no Wi-Fi and easyJet passengers with a promise for 2027. If you fly short-haul in Europe often, BA, Iberia and Air France are the airlines where free Wi-Fi is already showing up, and that list is likely to keep growing as more planes get fitted over the next two years.e
