Emirates extends Starlink installations across expanding aircraft fleet

Emirates has fitted 65 aircraft with Starlink satellite internet and plans installations on another 10 to 12 jets each month, alongside new aircraft deliveries and cabin refurbishment work.

Adnan Kazim, the Dubai airline’s deputy president and chief commercial officer, disclosed the installation figures while outlining its fleet plans. The programme is proceeding as Emirates prepares to receive Boeing aircraft from summer 2027 and maintains a steady flow of Airbus deliveries.

The latest figure marks an increase from the 53 Starlink-equipped aircraft disclosed in September. Emirates has identified 232 aircraft for the connectivity programme, although the latest monthly installation rate is below the 14 aircraft previously indicated. The company has not announced a revised completion date for the entire programme. Earlier guidance envisaged more installations by year-end, putting attention on engineering capacity.

Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, provides internet connections through satellites in low Earth orbit. Emirates is introducing the service without additional charges for passengers, including those travelling in economy class, as it replaces older onboard connectivity equipment across eligible aircraft. The service is intended to support streaming, messaging and other online activities during flights, subject to aircraft availability and operating conditions.

Kazim said Emirates had received 20 Airbus aircraft and expected four more before the end of 2026. Deliveries are then scheduled to continue at approximately one Airbus aircraft per month during 2027. Boeing passenger aircraft deliveries are expected to begin during the summer of that year. The schedule depends on manufacturers meeting delivery commitments.

The timetable is important to the carrier’s capacity planning because Emirates is simultaneously adding aircraft and updating jets already in operation. Its existing widebody fleet supports long-haul services through Dubai, while the Airbus A350 is being deployed across a growing range of destinations.

The airline has also completed refurbishment of 104 aircraft, with Kazim setting a target of 116 by the end of December. The upgrades cover cabin interiors and passenger amenities, including premium economy seating and newer entertainment and connectivity systems.

An Emirates operational update in September identified 53 Boeing 777s and 51 Airbus A380s among the 104 refurbished aircraft. It also said 137 aircraft offered premium economy and the airline’s latest cabin products, with that number expected to reach 155 by year-end as additional aircraft entered service.

Emirates has committed substantial expenditure to maintaining its fleet while awaiting new aircraft. Its refurbishment programme is valued at approximately $5 billion, with further work planned on existing A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. The programme enables the airline to introduce updated cabins without relying entirely on the arrival of replacement jets.

The Emirates Group’s annual report for the financial year ending March 2026 recorded 277 aircraft in the airline’s operating fleet, with an average age of 10.8 years. Its outstanding order book comprised 367 widebody aircraft scheduled for delivery through 2038, underscoring the scale of its commitments to Airbus and Boeing.

During the Dubai Airshow in November 2025, Emirates announced additional orders for 65 Boeing 777-9 aircraft and eight Airbus A350-900s, valued together at approximately $41.4 billion at published list prices. Those figures represent manufacturers’ catalogue valuations rather than necessarily the final amounts payable under commercial agreements.

Aircraft financing arrangements worth Dh10 billion were secured during the 2025-26 financial year through domestic and international markets. The airline used several structures, including operating leases, insurance-backed financing and facilities supported by export credit agencies, according to its annual report.

Kazim said strong passenger demand had helped the airline absorb part of its higher operating costs. The carrier continues to balance expenditure on aircraft, refurbishment and technology against the need to sustain capacity and service levels across its international network. Emirates has not disclosed a separate expenditure figure for the latest phase of Starlink installations.

The airline’s Starlink installation work covers both Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft. Its A380 configuration uses three satellite antennas to support the double-deck aircraft’s passenger capacity, compared with the smaller installation used on Boeing 777 jets. Emirates has said the A380 system can provide more than two gigabits per second of aggregate bandwidth.

Kazim also highlighted Emirates’ Egypt operations, saying the airline had transported approximately 13.2 million passengers to and from the country over four decades. He put passenger load factors on its Egypt services above 75 per cent despite disruption affecting parts of the region.