easyJet plans to introduce onboard internet for the first time, beginning a Starlink installation program in the first half of 2027 and targeting completion by early 2028. The airline’s October 26 announcement covers its A320, A320neo and A321neo fleet and describes internet access for browsing, streaming and gaming on passengers’ own devices.

For travelers, the timing is the essential qualification. A fleetwide plan does not mean that easyJet flights have Wi-Fi today, or that every aircraft will receive it at the beginning of the rollout. The carrier has announced a phased installation period, with the final target extending into the following year.

The airline also outlined potential uses beyond entertainment, including checking journey information and looking up transport or destination details. Ordering from the onboard menu was described as something the technology could enable, rather than a service already available on every flight.

Passenger pricing has not been announced

Reuters confirmed the rollout schedule and reported that easyJet had not disclosed the terms of its agreement with SpaceX. The report also noted that Chief Executive Kenton Jarvis had previously described the economics of onboard internet as challenging.

Rosie Shead’s independent report similarly noted the absence of an announcement about whether passengers would pay extra or receive the service free. That is a meaningful unresolved detail for comparing fares. A connectivity partnership and a customer price are different parts of the commercial offering.

It would therefore be premature to describe easyJet’s new service as complimentary or to attach a guessed fee. Nor does the existence of free access on another airline establish the conditions that easyJet will eventually adopt. The details relevant to a passenger will be the carrier’s published access terms when service launches.

A shift in the budget-airline experience

Shead’s account describes the announcement as a change from easyJet’s earlier position that the numbers did not work. The company now presents connectivity as a way to offer more convenience to both leisure and business customers. The deal establishes that strategic decision; without disclosed commercial terms, it does not reveal how the airline resolved every underlying cost question.

The distinction is particularly relevant to a low-fare carrier, where travelers often compare the price of optional services alongside the ticket. Internet availability may become another feature in that comparison, but it should be evaluated using the eventual price, eligibility conditions and availability on the actual flight, not the announcement alone.

Another low-cost carrier has a similar plan

Wizz Air announced in June that it also plans a Starlink rollout beginning in 2027. Its statement positions connectivity as part of an ultra-low-cost travel experience and says new-generation aircraft are expected to be equipped. This is earlier industry context, rather than a second new announcement made on October 26.

The two carriers’ plans show that satellite connectivity is being pursued within the budget segment as well as elsewhere in aviation. They do not establish identical launch dates, installation progress or passenger terms. A traveler comparing airlines will still need information specific to each carrier and itinerary.

Wizz’s release promotes the ability to remain connected for work, messages and entertainment. Those are the airline’s intended customer benefits, not independent measurements of performance on every future aircraft. Announced capability and a verified experience on a particular journey remain separate things.

Wi-Fi does not erase cabin safety rules

The UK Civil Aviation Authority says some UK airlines allow smartphones, tablets and e-readers throughout a flight, including takeoff and landing, but devices must remain in flight mode unless the crew instructs otherwise. It directs passengers to airline websites and in-flight information for further details about electronic-device use and available services. It emphasizes that onboard Wi-Fi availability varies and that passengers should follow crew instructions about device use.

That guidance matters when connectivity is marketed as ending digital isolation. An internet service is not a blanket authorization to use every wireless function of a phone at every stage of a journey. The airline’s instructions determine the permitted use on board.

The CAA also recommends paying attention to each flight’s safety briefing and reading the safety card because equipment and exit locations vary among aircraft. Access to messages or entertainment does not replace those instructions. The regulator’s guidance is general cabin advice; it is not a certification announcement for easyJet’s planned installation.

What travelers can conclude now

The concrete change is easyJet’s commitment to begin equipping its fleet next year, with a stated early-2028 completion target. Its release describes a significant new passenger service, but pricing and flight-by-flight availability remain matters for later confirmation.

For someone booking before or during that transition, the defensible expectation is a rollout in progress, not universal connectivity from day one. Travelers who need internet access for a specific journey should look for an explicit service confirmation from the airline rather than infer it from a fleetwide announcement.