Qatar Airways Adds Starlink To 787s, Rolls It Out On A350

Qatar AirwayS has become the first airline globally to equip the Boeing 787-8 with Starlink, while also completing the world’s first Airbus A350 Starlink installation program, further cementing its position as the industry leader in high-speed in-flight connectivity.

The Doha-based carrier now operates nearly 120 Starlink-equipped widebody aircraft, spanning Airbus A350s, Boeing 777s, and Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The rollout means more than 58% of the airline’s widebody fleet now offers ultra-high-speed connectivity at speeds of up to 500 Mbps, enabling gate-to-gate internet access on long- and ultra-long-haul routes across six continents, subject to local regulations.

First-of-Its-Kind Installations

Following its Boeing 777 linkage program, QR completed the entire A350 Starlink installation within eight months, finishing in December 2025. The airline has now extended the technology to its 787 fleet, with three Boeing 787-8s already flying with Starlink, making QR the first carrier worldwide to secure Starlink certification on the 787-8.

Within 14 months, QR launched and completed Starlink installations on the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350, before expanding the program to the 787, marking what the airline describes as the fastest widebody connectivity rollout in aviation history.

Since the airline launched its Starlink service in October 2024, it says more than 11 million of its passengers have used the complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi onboard. In a global context, Starlink connected approximately 21 million airline passengers in 2025, with Qatar Airways accounting for nearly half of that total, underscoring the scale of its deployment relative to the wider industry.

Passengers on Starlink-equipped aircraft can stream, video call, and work in real time, with performance that the airline says can exceed many home broadband connections. The service is now available on flights to most of QR’s destinations in the Americas and Australia, as well as on key routes across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Beyond the passenger experience, Starlink is also reshaping Qatar Airways’ internal operations. Real-time connectivity enables instant flight and roster updates to crew devices, improves coordination between cabin crew and ground teams during medical or service-related events, and enables engineering teams to monitor in-flight entertainment systems in real time, allowing issues to be addressed before aircraft land.

These capabilities are designed to improve decision-making, reduce delays, and enhance turnaround efficiency, extending the impact of in-flight connectivity well beyond customer-facing services.

MH370 Search: More Debris Found On Beach

Police take away an item found washed up on Reunion Island days after a wing-part was sent to France examination

Police collecting an object from a beach on La Reunion

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• Share by emailA 'metallic' object that could be from the missing plane MH370 has been found washed up on Reunion Island, say Sky sources.Sky's David Bowden said it was discovered in a different location to the flaperon which is currently undergoing tests in France to find out if it is from MH370.The flaperon was found on a beach in the town of Saint-Andre. Bowden said the new object was found closer to the capital Saint-Denis.

A 'metallic' object that could be from the missing plane MH370 has been found washed up on Reunion Island, say Sky sources.

Sky's David Bowden said it was discovered in a different location to the flaperon which is currently undergoing tests in France to find out if it is from MH370.

The flaperon was found on a beach in the town of Saint-Andre. Bowden said the new object was found closer to the capital Saint-Denis.

Pictures taken before police took the object away show a twisted piece of metal with symbols etched into it, with a handle that looks as if it is made from leather or plastic.

Bowden said that although it is not known if the object is from the doomed Malaysia Airlines flight or from a Boeing 777, it had Chinese and Malaysian writing on it and was thought to be from the inside of an aircraft.

He said it was taken away by police in an aluminium case that was just over 30cm (one foot) long.

Bowden said he approached the officers on Reunion and was told: "No comment."

It was earlier thought that the object found was the door of a plane, but Bowden said that did not now appear to be the case.

Malaysian officials, who were said to be heading to La Reunion on Saturday, have said they want to expand the area being searched for debris to other aviation authorities in other parts of the Indian Ocean.

It comes after other reports that debris that could have come from the plane washed up previously on beaches on La Reunion but was burned because it was not thought significant.

MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014.

The latest find comes as the wing part that was found earlier on Reunion arrived at a French laboratory for analysis.

Video: MH370: Timeline Of Events

The debris, which was first flown to Paris, was driven to a military base near Toulouse, which specialises in analysing aviation wreckage.

Air accident experts will examine the wreckage to determine whether it belongs to MH370.

If confirmed, the discovery could offers hope of an explanation to the families and loved ones of the 239 missing passengers and crew.

Aviation experts say the component may have stayed afloat due to air pockets in its structure and is almost certainly part of a Boeing 777.

Experts will attempt to verify the serial number of the wing-flap before conducting further tests to establish why it separated from the rest of the plane.

Investigators believe someone on board MH370 may have switched off its transponder, which allows it to be located, before flying it thousands of miles away from its intended course.

Source: www.news.sky.com