United Airlines temporarily turned Starlink Wi-Fi off on planes. Here's why.
United Airlines temporarily turned Starlink Wi-Fi off on planes. Here's why.
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Flight safety tips and tricks for electronics
If you've flown recently, your airline probably asked you a question or issued a warning about packing your electronics safely. Here's why.
United Airlines temporarily disabled Wi-Fi on some regional planes due to static interference from new Starlink antennas.
The static is not a safety concern, but the airline is working with Starlink to resolve the issue.
Static interference is a common issue in aviation, and can be caused by a number of factors.
United Airlines temporarily shut off Wi-Fi service on some of its regional aircraft after reports of static interference from newly installed antennas.
The airline has been working to roll out Starlink high-speed Wi-Fi on much of its regional fleet this year, and said that although the static is not a safety issue, it is being extra cautious while the problem is rectified.
"Starlink is now installed on about two dozen United regional aircraft. United and Starlink teams are working together to address a small number of reports of static interference during the operation of the Wi-Fi system, which is fairly common with any new airline Wi-Fi provider," the airline said in a statement to USA TODAY. "We expect the service to be back up and running on these aircraft soon. "
United added that it expects to have all its two-cabin regional jets fitted with Starlink Wi-Fi by the end of the year.
Static interference in radio communications is also one of the common issues pilots report when passengers do not adhere to regulations about using airplane mode during flights, and according to United, is a fairly common occurrence across the industry because of the number of antennas aboard modern aircraft.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
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