United Spotlights Starlink Wi-Fi in New Big Game Ad as Airline Completes Installation on 300+ Regional Aircraft

Rhea-AI Summary

United (NYSE: UAL) has installed Starlink on more than 300 regional aircraft in under a year and expects to equip an additional ~500 mainline planes by end of 2026, bringing the fleet total to over 800 Starlink-equipped aircraft.

More than 25% of daily departures (about 1,200 flights) now have Starlink; United flew >7 million passengers on Starlink planes across >129,000 flights, powering 3.7 million devices, and says Wi-Fi satisfaction on those aircraft nearly doubled. United will air a Big Game ad on Feb 8 highlighting the service.

Positive

• Installed Starlink on >300 regional aircraft in under one year
• Plans to equip ~500 mainline aircraft by end of 2026, totaling >800 planes
• Starlink on >25% of daily departures (~1,200 flights), increasing coverage
• Reportedly flew >7 million passengers on Starlink-equipped flights (129,000 flights)

Negative

• FAA approval still required for installations on 12+ aircraft models, creating timeline risk
• Majority of mainline fleet remains to be equipped; >500 mainline installs still outstanding
• "High-speed" claim references independent Ookla Q4 2023 data, not current in-source testing

News Market Reaction – UAL

+4.92%

22 alerts

+4.92% News Effect

+6.0% Peak in 26 hr 36 min

+$1.71B Valuation Impact

$36.57B Market Cap

0.5x Rel. Volume

On the day this news was published, UAL gained 4.92%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +6.0% during that session. Our momentum scanner triggered 22 alerts that day, indicating elevated trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $1.71B to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $36.57B at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Starlink regional aircraft: 300+ aircraft Planned mainline Starlink: 500+ aircraft Total Starlink planes target: 800+ aircraft +5 more

8 metrics

Starlink regional aircraft 300+ aircraft Two-cabin regional fleet equipped in less than a year

Planned mainline Starlink 500+ aircraft Expected additional mainline planes with Starlink by end of 2026

Total Starlink planes target 800+ aircraft Combined regional and mainline Starlink-equipped fleet by end of 2026

Daily Starlink departures 1,200 flights More than 25% of United’s daily departures

Passengers on Starlink flights 7 million Passengers flown on Starlink-equipped aircraft over 10 months

Starlink flights operated 129,000 flights Starlink-equipped flights over 10 months

Devices powered by Starlink 3.7 million devices Devices connected on Starlink-equipped flights over 10 months

Starlink penetration Indianapolis 63%+ flights Share of United flights with Starlink in Indianapolis

Market Reality Check

Price: $112.59 Vol: Volume 4,956,369 vs 20-da...

normal vol

$112.59 Last Close

Volume Volume 4,956,369 vs 20-day average 5,141,519 (about in-line, slightly below at 0.96x). normal

Technical Price $102.32 is trading above 200-day MA of $93.89, but sits 14.17% below the 52-week high of $119.21.

Peers on Argus

UAL was down 1.56% while key peers showed mixed performance: DAL (-0.47%), LUV (...

UAL was down 1.56% while key peers showed mixed performance: DAL (-0.47%), LUV (-2.09%), AAL (-0.67%), ALK (-3.18%), and CPA (+3.33%). With no peers in the momentum scanner and no same-day peer headlines, the move appears more company-specific than sector-driven.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jan 27 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 27	Route expansion	Positive	-3.5%	Record 750 daily ORD flights and expanded summer schedule announced.
Jan 20	Earnings results	Positive	-4.3%	Q4 and full-year 2025 EPS and revenue beat expectations with record revenue.
Jan 14	Product enhancement	Positive	-3.2%	Launch of preordered fresh Economy meals on flights over 1,190 miles.
Jan 05	Earnings webcast	Neutral	+1.7%	Announcement of timing for Q4 and full-year 2025 results webcast.
Dec 16	App feature update	Positive	+4.4%	New app tools like Virtual Gate and real-time bag tracking before holidays.

Pattern Detected

Recent UAL news has often been operationally or financially positive yet followed by negative one-day price reactions, suggesting a pattern of selling into good news, with only occasional positive alignment.

Recent Company History

Over the past several months, UAL has highlighted multiple growth and product initiatives. On Dec 16, 2025, it rolled out major mobile app enhancements and the stock gained 4.44%. However, other positive announcements saw selling pressure: record Q4 and full-year 2025 results on Jan 20, 2026 coincided with a -4.34% move, while a record Chicago O’Hare schedule on Jan 27, 2026 saw shares down 3.45%. The current Starlink Wi‑Fi milestone fits into this pattern of customer-experience upgrades amid mixed short-term price reactions.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement underscores UAL’s push to differentiate on onboard connectivity, with Starlink alr...

Analysis

This announcement underscores UAL’s push to differentiate on onboard connectivity, with Starlink already on 300+ regional aircraft and targeted for 800+ planes by 2026, covering over 1,200 daily departures. Historical news flow shows a steady focus on operational upgrades and customer-facing technology. Investors may watch how higher Wi‑Fi satisfaction and usage across 7 million passengers and 3.7 million devices interact with broader financial metrics and capital structure decisions disclosed in recent filings.

Key Terms

wi-fi, faa

2 terms

wi-fi technical

"United has installed Starlink on most of its two-cabin regional fleet – more than 300 airplanes – in less than a year, and expects to have it onboard more than half of its mainline fleet – an additional 500 aircraft – by the end of 2026United uses the biggest advertising stage in the world to demonstrate what's now possible at 30,000 feet thanks to Starlink Wi-Fi"

Wireless networking technology that lets devices connect to the internet and each other without cables, acting like an invisible bridge between phones, computers, sensors and routers. Investors care because Wi‑Fi influences how products and services are used, how much equipment and infrastructure companies must build or upgrade, and where revenue or costs may shift — stronger or wider Wi‑Fi can boost customer engagement, enable new services, and create security and regulatory risks that affect valuations.

faa regulatory

"In collaboration with Starlink, the airline will seek FAA approval for installation and safe, reliable operation of the new system"

The FAA is the U.S. government agency that oversees civil aviation, including aircraft safety, pilot licensing, air traffic control and rules for new technologies like drones. For investors, FAA actions are like a referee’s calls in a game: their approvals, fines or rule changes can directly affect an airline’s operations, a manufacturer’s ability to sell aircraft, or a technology company’s market access and costs, which in turn can change revenue and risk profiles.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

United has installed Starlink on most of its two-cabin regional fleet – more than 300 airplanes – in less than a year, and expects to have it onboard more than half of its mainline fleet – an additional 500 aircraft – by the end of 2026

United uses the biggest advertising stage in the world to demonstrate what's now possible at 30,000 feet thanks to Starlink Wi-Fi – like streaming live sports, playing online games and more

More than 25% of the airline's daily departures now have Starlink, and Wi-Fi customer satisfaction scores on those aircraft have nearly doubled 

CHICAGO, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In less than a year, United has equipped most of its two-cabin regional fleet – more than 300 aircraft – with Starlink, the fastest, most reliable high-speed Wi-Fi in the sky*. Over the last 10 months, the airline has flown more than 7 million passengers on Starlink-equipped aircraft across more than 129,000 flights, powering 3.7 million devices – and Wi-Fi customer satisfaction scores on those airplanes nearly doubled during that time.

Today, more than 25% of United's daily departures – 1,200 flights – have Starlink Wi-Fi. The airline expects to equip more than 500 mainline aircraft with Starlink Wi-Fi by the end of 2026, bringing the total number of Starlink-equipped planes across its fleet to more than 800. 

United is marking this milestone during the Big Game on February 8 with a new broadcast film that brings to life how Starlink redefines the onboard Wi-Fi experience. The creative draws inspiration from space travel, as customers onboard a United flight watch live sports, play online games, check in on their home security cameras and more – all things that historically haven't been possible with traditional inflight satellite Wi-Fi. The voiceover, which has a tone that mimics a conversation between ground control and the cockpit, underscores the transformation: "It's Wi-Fi that actually works? That's one giant leap for inflight Wi-Fi."

"We are focused on what we call 'travel truths' in our advertising, so with this spot we wanted to recognize the truly giant leap Starlink Wi-Fi represents for our customers and what is now possible. Starlink is transforming the inflight experience on United planes with reliable connectivity that enables everything from productivity to streaming the biggest football game of the season," said Maggie Schmerin, United's Chief Advertising Officer.

The ad will air in local markets including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis and Kansas City – all cities where United's Starlink-equipped regional aircraft fly. And in many of these cities, more than half of United flights operating there have Starlink Wi-Fi onboard. For example, in Indianapolis, more than 63% of United flights are equipped with Starlink, in Kansas City it's more than 53% and in Cincinnati it's more than 51%.

"United customers are loving the new Wi-Fi experience onboard our Starlink-equipped aircraft," said United's VP of Digital Technology, Grant Milstead. "We're rolling out Starlink at an unprecedented speed and scale, and our milestone for our regional fleet is just the beginning – with more than 500 mainline aircraft expected to be equipped by the end of 2026. This is all part of our commitment to bring this innovative service to our entire fleet."

United's customer satisfaction scores for inflight Wi-Fi have nearly doubled on aircraft equipped with Starlink, with travelers specifically calling out benefits like gate-to-gate connectivity, reliable service and onboard streaming.

This year, United plans to accelerate the Starlink roll out to its mainline feet, adding seamless, gate-to-gate connectivity to hundreds more planes. In collaboration with Starlink, the airline will seek FAA approval for installation and safe, reliable operation of the new system on more than a dozen different aircraft models, including the Boeing 737-900ER, the Airbus 321 family and Boeing 777s.

For more information, visit united.com/starlink.

*Based on independent Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data from Q4 2023. "High-Speed" defined as median download speeds above 100 Mbps per same.

About United

At United, Good Leads The Way. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers, and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".

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SOURCE United Airlines

FAQ

How many United (UAL) planes currently have Starlink Wi‑Fi installed?

Direct answer: More than 300 regional aircraft plus Starlink on parts of mainline fleet. According to the company, total Starlink-equipped aircraft exceed 800 once ~500 mainline installs are completed by end of 2026.

What percentage of United (UAL) daily flights have Starlink Wi‑Fi now?

Direct answer: Over 25% of daily departures have Starlink, roughly 1,200 flights. According to the company, that coverage reflects rapid regional deployment and growing mainline installations through 2026.

When does United (UAL) expect to finish Starlink installations on mainline aircraft?

Direct answer: The company expects to equip an additional ~500 mainline aircraft by the end of 2026. According to the company, that expansion would bring total Starlink-equipped planes to over 800 across the fleet.

How has Starlink affected United (UAL) inflight Wi‑Fi satisfaction scores?

Direct answer: Wi‑Fi customer satisfaction on Starlink-equipped aircraft has nearly doubled. According to the company, travelers cited gate-to-gate connectivity, reliable service and streaming as major improvements.

Does United (UAL) still need regulatory approval for Starlink installations?

Direct answer: Yes—United will seek FAA approval for installations on more than a dozen aircraft models. According to the company, approvals are required to ensure safe, certified operation across those airframes.

What evidence supports United's (UAL) claim that Starlink is high‑speed inflight Wi‑Fi?

Direct answer: United cites independent Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data (Q4 2023) to define high-speed as median downloads >100 Mbps. According to the company, that benchmark underpins its performance claim.