Emirates carries hundreds of thousands of UK passengers every year, including from London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow
Emirates says it is entering a ‘new era’
A major airline has issued an announcement to customers after an update to its service. Emirates carries hundreds of thousands of passengers on UK services every year going through airports including London Heathrow, Gatwick, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow.
Using its 615-seater A380s the route from London Heathrow to Dubai alone offers more than one million seats. Now those travelling on the aircraft will be able to access internet connections, which the airline hails as “better than at home” following the completion of the first installation of next-generation Starlink Wi-Fi onboard.
Making the announcement on Monday afternoon, the airline said: “Emirates A380 was one of the first commercial aircraft in the world to offer internet to its customers, with first generation systems offering a total aircraft bandwidth of less than 1 Mbps. Emirates’ installation of three Starlink antennas on each A380 will improve the Wi-Fi available onboard a thousand-fold – offering a ‘better than at home’ connectivity experience for customers, while flying at 40,000 feet.”
The first Emirates A380 aircraft equipped with Starlink made its return to Dubai this week, after its installation and certification were accomplished in Newquay. More A380s are scheduled for accelerated installation throughout 2026 allowing passengers to stream, game, browse, and work throughout their journey on personal devices.
The service will be complimentary for all customers. The airline has future plans to add Live TV streaming over Starlink, initially on personal devices and later integrated into seatback screens.
Making the announcement on X, the airline said: “Our A380 is entering a new era with next-gen @Starlink Wi-Fi onboard. Ultra-fast, complimentary connectivity across all cabins, customers can stream, browse and stay connected seamlessly at 40,000 feet. A fully connected journey, redefined.”
And passengers were delighted to hear the news. One said: “Let’s go. The old system was under 1 Mbps.” Another added: “Please don’t ever ground this airplane.”
The “double-decker” Emirates Airbus A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner. It is known for its onboard luxury including shower spas, onboard bars and lounge.