Air New Zealand Starlink WiFi — Testing Now

Air New Zealand was one of the earliest airlines globally to announce Starlink Aviation, committing in December 2023 — before all but a handful of carriers worldwide. More than two years later the airline remains in the testing phase rather than commercial rollout, with two trial aircraft in service: one regional jet and one turboprop, both used on domestic services within New Zealand. From a fleet of approximately 110 aircraft, no airframes are yet confirmed for commercial Starlink deployment. The extended testing period reflects the operational challenge of integrating Starlink with Air New Zealand's mixed long-haul, short-haul and regional fleet. The aircraft mix is broad: 31 ATR 72-600 turboprops and 23 Bombardier Dash 8 Q300s flown by Air New Zealand's regional subsidiary Mount Cook Airline on routes between Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and smaller domestic destinations; 17 Airbus A320ceos and 12 A321neos for trans-Tasman and Pacific Island flying; and a long-haul widebody fleet of 12 Boeing 787-9s and 10 777-300ERs reaching the US, Europe and Asia. Testing on both a jet and a turboprop in parallel suggests the airline is collecting operational data across multiple aircraft families before committing to a fleet-wide rollout. For passengers, Starlink is not yet available on any commercial Air New Zealand service. The existing Wi-Fi product on long-haul widebodies is a paid Inmarsat-based service, and short-haul and regional aircraft are largely unconnected. Pricing for Starlink once it leaves testing has not been confirmed. Given Air New Zealand's geographic position — long over-water sectors on most international routes — the operational case for upgrading to Starlink is strong, but a public timeline for commercial deployment has not been published.