If you’re a frequent flyer on United Airlines’ regional routes, you might notice something odd on your next Embraer E175 flight: no Starlink Wi-Fi. That’s right—around twenty of these smaller jets have been temporarily grounded from offering Starlink internet due to unexpected radio interference. United began a massive rollout of SpaceX’s satellite service back in May, aiming to give passengers free, high-speed connectivity funded by ads. But a snag popped up, and now the airline is hitting pause while the problem gets sorted.
United insists this is only a bump in the road, not a full stop. The airline’s maintenance and engineering teams are working hand in glove with SpaceX to get things back on track. In the meantime, your favorite regional flights will revert to the older Wi-Fi systems or none at all—depending on what’s available—until the fix rolls out over the coming weeks.
The Root of the Interference Issue
According to United, pilots noticed static and chatter bleeding into their radio communications with air traffic control whenever Starlink was active. In aviation, clear two-way comms are absolutely critical, so any interference—even the slightest—is a big red flag. These E175s use small roof-mounted antennas for the satellite link, and it turns out they were working a bit too well, spilling signals into frequencies reserved for the cockpit.
This kind of hiccup isn’t unheard of when airlines switch on a brand-new Wi-Fi provider, but the scale here grabbed headlines. United had grand plans: install Starlink on its entire long-haul fleet (more than 1,000 planes) and regional legs alike, all to rival other carriers offering patchier, slower internet. Now, with a third of the affected jets already patched and the rest awaiting scheduled maintenance, the airline is confident the disruption will be brief.
The Tech Side: What Went Wrong?
SpaceX’s Starlink relies on phased-array antennas to dynamically point at satellites orbiting overhead. These high-gain systems beam and receive data across a wide swath of the radio spectrum. Unfortunately, that spectrum can overlap with aviation VHF bands if the filters or shielding aren’t dialed in perfectly. In this case, a few stray megahertz ended up in the cockpit comm channels, creating enough static to distract pilots.
Engineers from both United and SpaceX traced the problem to a firmware setting and an RF filter tolerance. By tweaking the cutoff frequencies and applying a software patch to the onboard modems, they can clamp down on unwanted emissions. It’s a neat example of how modern avionics and cutting-edge consumer-grade tech can sometimes step on each other’s toes without careful vetting.
Teaming Up: United and SpaceX’s Fix
Rather than rip out and replace expensive hardware, both teams opted for an over-the-air software update combined with minor hardware tweaks during routine maintenance. United reports that roughly a third of the affected E175s have already received the update, restoring Starlink connectivity without compromising radio clarity. The rest will follow in the next few weeks, slotted into normal service checks.
Starlink’s footprint on United’s planes is fairly minimalist: a low-profile antenna on the fuselage, a modem in the cabin’s ceiling panel, and cabling to passenger Wi-Fi access points. Because the fix only touches firmware and filter settings inside the modem, there’s no need for downtime outside standard maintenance windows. Once the last jet is updated, United plans to ramp up the rollout again—this time, with extra testing to ensure flawless comms.
Looking Ahead: The Future of In-Flight Connectivity
United Airlines isn’t backing off its Starlink ambitions. On the contrary, the carrier sees this as a temporary detour on the road to transforming the passenger experience. Free, fast Wi-Fi on every flight could set United apart, especially on international and premium routes. Plus, partnerships with streaming services, like the recent one with Spotify, show how the airline wants to monetarily and experientially enrich the journey.
Other airlines monitoring this rollout will take note. If United and SpaceX can iron out even minor interference issues, Starlink could become the gold standard for in-flight internet. Travelers, too, stand to benefit: no more spotty connections or ridiculous fees. All that remains is for United to cross the finish line on these regional jets, proving that satellite internet at 30,000 feet can truly be reliable—and interference-free.
