United Airlines (UA) has announced that it temporarily paused Starlink Wi-Fi on its regional Embraer E175 jets due to radio interference issues. The decision affects flights departing from major hubs like Chicago O’Hare (ORD), where many of these aircraft are based.
The airline has confirmed that nearly two dozen aircraft equipped with SpaceX’s Starlink technology are now flying without internet, citing concerns related to communication system disruptions.
United Airlines (UA), in partnership with Starlink, has outfitted 20+ Embraer E175 regional jets with satellite-based high-speed Wi-Fi.
However, shortly after the rollout, the carrier identified a technical problem involving static interference affecting VHF radios, a system pilots rely on to communicate with air traffic control.
As exclusively reported by TPG, pilots experienced static immediately following their radio transmissions on aircraft fitted with the new Starlink antennas.
Although the airline has stated there is no risk to flight safety, it acted out of caution by disabling the Wi-Fi systems fleet-wide while a fix is applied.
This issue is not unprecedented. United previously encountered similar interference while integrating Viasat on its mainline aircraft, a complication that was swiftly resolved.
Similarly, United and Starlink have now pinpointed the source of the interference and developed a solution currently being implemented across affected aircraft.
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