easyJet Will Add Starlink Wi-Fi From 2027: What It Means for Travelers in Europe
easyJet is putting Starlink Wi-Fi on its Airbus fleet from the first half of 2027, its first-ever onboard internet. Here is the timeline, the pricing question, and why you still need data on the ground.
easyJet, one of Europe's biggest low-cost airlines, announced on October 26, 2026 that it will install Starlink Wi-Fi across its Airbus fleet. It is the first time the airline will offer any kind of internet on board. Today, an easyJet flight is fully offline from gate to gate.
What easyJet announced
- Timeline: installations begin in the first half of 2027 and are expected to be complete by early 2028.
- Aircraft: the rollout covers the A320, A320neo and A321neo jets in a fleet of more than 350 aircraft.
- Exceptions: easyJet's 80-plus A319s will not get Starlink, because the airline plans to retire them by 2029. So until then, some flights will stay offline even after the installation program ends.
- Pricing: not announced. The press release does not say the service will be free, and aviation blog One Mile at a Time notes that easyJet may charge for it, unlike most Starlink airlines so far.
Coverage of the deal says easyJet becomes roughly the 50th airline to pick Starlink. CEO Kenton Jarvis framed it as a way to serve both holidaymakers who want to stream and business travelers who need to stay in touch with "what's happening on the ground."
The Ryanair contrast
The announcement lands in a very public fight over in-flight internet in Europe. Ryanair, the region's largest low-cost carrier, still refuses to install Wi-Fi. Its CEO Michael O'Leary has said that "we don't think our passengers are willing to pay for Wi-Fi for an average one-hour flight", a stance that sparked a heated exchange with Elon Musk earlier in 2026.
For travelers, this means connectivity is becoming a real differentiator between the two biggest budget airlines in Europe, at least on paper. In practice, nobody will feel it before 2027.
Why this matters for travelers
Starlink is the fastest in-flight connection on the market, and it has already spread quickly: our coverage of free Starlink Wi-Fi on more than 1,400 planes shows how full-service and long-haul carriers have adopted it. easyJet bringing it to short-haul, low-cost routes is a sign that being online at 35,000 feet is becoming the default rather than a premium perk.
But three things do not change:
- Most easyJet flights are short. On a 90-minute hop, Wi-Fi is a nice-to-have. The moment you really need data is after landing: maps, ride-hailing, booking confirmations, two-factor codes and messages to whoever is picking you up.
- Plane Wi-Fi ends at the jet bridge. Starlink on board does nothing for you in the terminal, on the train into the city or at your hotel.
- Pricing is still unknown. If easyJet charges per flight, it is one more extra on top of bags and seats.
The practical side: staying connected after you land
If you fly easyJet around Europe, how you get mobile data depends on where your phone plan comes from:
- EU/EEA residents generally benefit from "Roam Like at Home" rules within the EU, although fair-use limits apply and some destinations easyJet serves (like the UK, Switzerland, Turkey, Morocco or Egypt) are outside that framework.
- UK travelers have seen several operators bring back EU roaming fees since Brexit, so daily charges are common.
- Visitors from outside Europe (the US, Latin America, Asia) usually face expensive daily roaming passes.
For most of these travelers, a travel eSIM is the simplest fix: you install it before departure, keep your regular SIM for calls and SMS, and switch on mobile data the moment the plane lands. A regional Europe eSIM covers dozens of countries with a single plan, which suits multi-city easyJet itineraries.
A few tips:
- Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, not at the arrival gate.
- Choose a regional plan if your trip crosses several countries, and check whether non-EU stops (UK, Switzerland, Turkey) are included.
- Turn on the eSIM line for data only and leave your home SIM active for bank SMS codes.
- Compare unlimited vs fixed-data plans based on how long you stay; for a weekend city break, a small fixed plan is usually enough.
Providers such as HOLASIM offer Europe-wide eSIMs that activate on arrival, so you are online before you reach baggage claim, whether or not your flight had Wi-Fi.
Bottom line
easyJet's Starlink deal is good news for European travelers, but it is a 2027–2028 story, the price is unknown and the A319s will stay offline. For trips you are booking now, plan your connectivity for the ground, not the air.