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Starlink to Revolutionize In-Flight Wi-Fi, Says Air New Zealand CEO

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Air New Zealand’s CEO, Greg Foran, announced that the days of spotty or non-existent in-flight Wi-Fi are coming to an end. Speaking “Squawk Box Asia,” Foran emphasized that reliable and fast Wi-Fi will soon become ubiquitous on full-service airlines. As airlines strive to meet passenger demands for seamless connectivity, SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service has emerged as the latest must-have technology for aircraft.

Air New Zealand first revealed in December 2023 that it would begin equipping its aircraft with Starlink services, known for providing high-speed internet via a constellation of 6,000 satellites. The service promises passengers access to fast and reliable internet, allowing them to stream videos, browse the web, and send instant messages on multiple devices throughout their flight.

However, passengers eager for these services will need to wait a little longer. Foran explained that Starlink’s rollout on Air New Zealand planes, initially slated for late 2024, has been delayed to 2025. “Early next year, you will see Starlink operating on one of our turboprops and one of our jets,” Foran said, adding that while tests have been conducted, the next step is full operational deployment.

United Airlines has also joined the Starlink revolution, announcing on September 13 the largest agreement in the airline industry for Starlink services. Testing will begin in 2025, with the eventual goal of installing the service across its fleet of over 1,000 planes. Once implemented, Starlink will enable passengers to access high-speed internet in previously unreachable areas, such as mid-ocean and polar regions.

Both Air New Zealand and United Airlines have indicated that Starlink services will be offered free to passengers or bundled into ticket prices, eliminating the need for additional in-flight purchases for internet access. This move addresses a long-standing frustration for travelers who are often dissatisfied with the quality and pricing of current in-flight Wi-Fi options.

Foran, who met with Starlink and SpaceX representatives shortly before speaking with CNBC, highlighted the strong progress made in bringing the service to Air New Zealand. “We’re well down this path, and I think it’s going to be a fantastic offering,” he said.

Several other airlines have already embraced Starlink as their go-to in-flight internet provider. Hawaiian Airlines and smaller carriers like JSX have inked deals with the satellite service. Most recently, in late September, Air France announced plans to roll out Starlink services across its entire fleet, beginning in the summer of 2025, marking what the French airline described as “a major step in its move upmarket.”

With its increasing influence in the aviation industry, Starlink is poised to reshape the in-flight experience, providing passengers with faster, more reliable internet on a global scale.

Crew-9 Astronauts Arrive at ISS Amid SpaceX Rocket Anomaly

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The SpaceX Crew-9 mission successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, despite SpaceX reporting an anomaly with the Falcon 9 rocket. NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrived safely, joining the current ISS crew after launching from Cape Canaveral the previous day. The capsule’s hatch was opened at 7:04 p.m. ET, marking the official arrival of the Crew-9 team.

The mission’s arrival at the ISS came after SpaceX disclosed that the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn, resulting in its disposal in the ocean, though it missed the targeted area. SpaceX has paused future Falcon 9 flights pending further investigation into the root cause of the issue.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been on the ISS since June after issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft, will return to Earth with Crew-9 next year. Due to technical issues with the Starliner, NASA decided to extend their stay and use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for their return. The Starliner returned to Earth unmanned in September following complications with helium leaks and thruster malfunctions.

Williams and Wilmore had originally planned for a short stay on the ISS, but NASA adjusted its plans, extending their mission. They will now fulfill duties alongside the Crew-9 team until their scheduled return in early 2024. NASA cited vehicle availability and ISS operational needs as key reasons for keeping the astronauts in space for a full crew rotation.

The full ISS crew now consists of NASA’s Don Pettit, Russian cosmonauts Aleksey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Gorbunov. NASA and Russia’s Roscosmos have continued their collaborative seat-swapping program, which brought Pettit and Gorbunov to the station on spacecraft from each other’s countries.

SpaceX’s next mission, Crew-10, is slated for February 2024 and will involve a newly developed Crew Dragon capsule. Until then, Williams and Wilmore will remain in space, having adapted to the extended mission duration.

 

SEC to Seek Sanctions Against Elon Musk in Twitter Takeover Probe

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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced its intent to seek sanctions against Elon Musk after he failed to appear for a court-ordered testimony regarding his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter. According to a filing in a San Francisco federal court, Musk notified the SEC just three hours before his scheduled September 10 testimony that he would not attend.

The SEC claims Musk’s absence is part of a broader pattern of “gamesmanship” and delay tactics, and they will be filing a motion to hold him in civil contempt. Musk, who was at Cape Canaveral overseeing SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission on that day, argued through his lawyer, Alex Spiro, that his absence was an “emergency” and attending the launch was critical to astronaut safety.

The SEC’s investigation centers on whether Musk violated securities laws in early 2022 when he began accumulating Twitter stock. Shareholders and regulators have criticized Musk for delaying the disclosure of his ownership stake, which eventually reached 9.2%, beyond the 5% threshold that mandates public disclosure. Musk’s defense claims the delay was an oversight and that it was “a mistake” rather than intentional wrongdoing.

This latest conflict follows a longstanding feud between Musk and the SEC, dating back to 2018 when the regulator sued him over misleading tweets about taking Tesla private. Musk settled that lawsuit by paying a $20 million fine and stepping down as Tesla’s chairman.

Musk’s testimony has been rescheduled for October 3, but the SEC remains skeptical about his compliance. The regulator is pushing for clear consequences to ensure Musk does not continue to evade their investigation.