WestJet Starlink WiFi

WestJet was the first Canadian airline to commit to Starlink Aviation, announcing its partnership with SpaceX in July 2024 and beginning installations across its Boeing 737 fleet later that year. The carrier reports more than 100 aircraft equipped from a fleet of roughly 180 — a 58% headline coverage rate — though independent tail-number tracking confirms a smaller subset to date, reflecting the typical lag between airline rollout reporting and external verification through flight-tracking data. Either way, WestJet's rollout is among the fastest in North America after United and is on track to complete the 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 sub-fleets by the end of 2026. The rollout focuses on the Boeing 737 narrow-body family, which forms the backbone of WestJet's North American and Caribbean network. The Boeing 737-800 (B738) and 737 MAX 8 (B38M) sub-fleets are receiving Starlink in priority order, with installations happening during scheduled overnight maintenance windows at WestJet's Calgary base. The older Boeing 737-700s (B737), the Dash 8 Q400 regional turboprops operated by WestJet Encore (DH8D), and the small Boeing 787-9 widebody fleet used on transatlantic and trans-Pacific flying are not yet part of the initial Starlink wave; coverage on those types will depend on later programme phases. For passengers, Starlink is free on every equipped WestJet flight, available on every seat with no fare-class or status gating. The combination of free high-speed Wi-Fi with WestJet's domestic Canadian route monopolies on many city pairs is a significant value-add against the Canadian Big Two duopoly with Air Canada. Connection identification is straightforward: equipped aircraft carry a flat rectangular Starlink antenna on the upper fuselage, distinct from the older legacy radomes that remain on the unequipped airframes.