Emirates has announced a major onboard upgrade for passengers flying on its Airbus A380 fleet.
Emirates introduces faster free Starlink internet on A380 flights
The luxury airline said new Starlink technology is being installed on its superjumbo aircraft, promising dramatically faster in-flight internet with free access for customers across every cabin.
Emirates said each upgraded A380 will be fitted with three Starlink antennas, increasing onboard connectivity capacity and allowing passengers to stream, browse, game and work while flying at 40,000 feet.
The first refurbished A380 equipped with the system has already returned to service in Dubai after installation and certification work was completed in Newquay.
More aircraft are scheduled to receive the upgrade throughout 2026 as Emirates accelerates deployment across its fleet.
The airline said customers will “soon enjoy a transformative leap in onboard connectivity with the ability to stream, game, browse, and work throughout their journey on personal devices”.
It added the service will be complimentary for all passengers, regardless of cabin class, with simplified sign-up and access.
Live TV streaming is also expected to launch in future, initially through passengers’ own devices before later being integrated into seatback entertainment screens.
Emirates said the bespoke A380 setup has been designed to handle the aircraft’s double-decker layout and large passenger numbers, delivering more than two gigabits per second of total bandwidth across the cabin.
The carrier said: “Compared with the Emirates Boeing 777, the Emirates A380 features additional wireless access points and a third antenna to deliver an enhanced connectivity experience for its higher passenger capacity.”
Starlink installations are also set to begin at Emirates engineering facilities in Dubai as part of a wider fleet rollout.
So far, 25 Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft have already been equipped with Starlink, with more than 650,000 customers having travelled on connected flights.
The announcement forms part of Emirates’ wider investment programme aimed at improving the customer journey.
The airline said 93 aircraft have already been fully refurbished, including the addition of premium economy cabins, upgraded business class seats, refreshed first class suites and enhanced inflight entertainment systems offering more than 6,500 channels.