Cebu Pacific to light up Starlink WiFi by 2027

MANILA, Philippines — Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific is shaking up the aviation market not just in the Philippines, but in Southeast Asia as a whole, as it will introduce high-speed internet on flights courtesy of Starlink.

Cebu Pacific yesterday announced it is rolling out satellite internet by 2027 by teaming up with pioneering provider Starlink, owned by the world’s richest man Elon Musk.

Cebu Pacific will become the first budget carrier in Southeast Asia to bring in Starlink service, a development that could force adjustments among its competitors.

The rollout is part of Cebu Pacific’s efforts to improve flight experience for passengers. It pairs with the airline’s purchase of new aircraft to come up with one of the largest and youngest fleets in Southeast Asia.

Cebu Pacific joins fellow airlines under Indigo Partners in the Starlink adoption. Private equity Indigo Partners manages a portfolio of low-cost carriers, including Frontier Airlines in the US, Wizz Air in Hungary, Volaris in Mexico and JetSMART in Chile.

Under the deal with Indigo Partners, Starlink is installing its satellite service on more than 1,000 aircraft, one of the provider’s single-largest deployments for in-flight connectivity.

Indigo Partners managing partner Bill Franke said the tieup with Starlink was made to shake up the low-cost scene with low airfares and reliable WiFi.

Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer Alexander Lao said the development would ensure that passengers can connect to the internet for whatever purpose they may need.

Starlink leads the connectivity industry in the satellite segment. As of June, Starlink operates as many as 10,413 low earth orbit satellites in space. These units beam internet onto the ground, reaching remote areas and undisturbed by extreme weather.

For flights, Starlink delivers high-speed, low-latency internet capable of online gaming and video streaming. Starlink also extends operational support to flight crews for service efficiency.

Based on a traffic report, Cebu Pacific grew its passenger volume by four percent to 14.5 million in the first half, from 13.9 million a year ago, lifted by single-digit growth in both domestic and international markets.

The airline owned by the Gokongweis owns an industry-leading fleet of 101 aircraft, made up of Airbus and ATR aircraft reaching 35 domestic destinations and 26 foreign cities.