American Airlines has signed up for SpaceX's Starlink inflight Wi-Fi service, set to equip more than 500 narrow-body Airbus aircraft starting early next year. This move positions Starlink as a formidable player against competitors like Amazon Leo and Viasat.

Starlink’s low Earth orbit satellites offer broadband internet to both consumer and enterprise customers, with notable success in securing contracts with major airlines including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa Group, British Airways, and Alaska Airlines (which merged with Hawaiian).

The American Airlines agreement underscores Starlink's growing importance. This deal will be a significant boost for SpaceX as it prepares for its highly anticipated IPO next month, expected to be the largest in history.

However, not all of American Airlines' aircraft will receive the upgrade. The Airbus A321XLR and A320neo models are set to be equipped with Starlink, while Boeing planes remain unaltered under this agreement.