Crossing the Atlantic has just gotten ten times cooler. Starting in 2026, Virgin Atlantic will be the first airline in the UK to have free Starlink Wi-Fi onboard. The airline will begin retrofitting with high speed Wi-Fi on their Boeing 787, Airbus A350, and A330neo widebody aircraft. The fleet is expected to be completely retrofitted by 2027.
Wi-Fi And Interior Retrofits In The Pipeline
Not only will Virgin Atlantic be retrofitting aircraft with Starlink Wi-Fi, they will also be retrofitting their older aircraft to match the new Virgin Atlantic product. Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners will get all new seating in all three cabins. The design is said to be similar to their innovative A330neo cabin. Interestingly there will be a capacity shift, with the new cabins featuring 44 Upper Class Seats and 56 premium seats. This is an increase from the current 787-9 configuration with 31 upper class, and 35 premium seats. Economy class will drop down form 192 to 127 seats. This comes as no surprise as many airlines are launching premium heavy aircraft on highly lucrative routes. The retrofits are expected to start in 2028 and finish by 2030. This will finally give Virgin Atlantic some consistency with their onboard product which was heavily lacking on the outdated 787-9 Dreamliners.