Alaska Airlines, the sixth-largest airline in the U.S., has officially completed its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, the nation’s 16th-largest carrier. This strategic merger is set to transform the in-flight experience for millions of passengers as Alaska Airlines looks to capitalize on Hawaiian’s cutting-edge internet technology powered by SpaceX’s Starlink. Starlink Inflight Internet will be available to passengers.
Earlier this year, Hawaiian Airlines became one of the first airlines to install SpaceX’s Starlink inflight internet system across its fleet. Passenger feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the service’s speed, reliability, and ability to handle real-time applications like Google Docs due to its low latency.
Hawaiian Airlines had ambitious plans to offer free Starlink internet on flights within Hawaii, as well as routes to the continental U.S., Asia, and Oceania. This merger with Alaska Airlines is expected to accelerate the deployment of Starlink across the newly combined fleet.
Analysts speculate that this acquisition could lead to rapid adoption of Starlink by Alaska Airlines. “This move likely fast-tracks Alaska’s use of Starlink,” industry insiders suggest, “much like we saw with the rapid adoption of Tesla’s NACS network by legacy automakers.”
In fact, Alaska Airlines may not be the only carrier to benefit from this acquisition. With United Airlines recently announcing plans to equip all its planes with Starlink, the technology is poised to become an industry standard. Starlink offers airlines a lower-cost, more reliable internet solution, with speeds up to 100 times faster than traditional satellite systems.
This merger could mark a pivotal moment in airline technology, as Alaska Airlines, bolstered by Hawaiian’s success with Starlink, leads the way toward a future where high-speed, free inflight internet becomes the norm for passengers worldwide.
