(Jan 5): United Airlines said on Sunday that it expects to begin testing Elon Musk's Starlink in February for in-flight internet services, and to first offer the connectivity on a commercial flight operated by Embraer aircraft this spring.

The airline plans to outfit its entire two-cabin regional fleet with the service by the end of 2025, and have its first Starlink-enabled plane on major routes in the air by the end of the year.

Starlink will eventually be available on all its flights, the airline said in a statement.

However, United said access would be free only for MileagePlus members, revising an earlier plan to offer free Wi-Fi to all passengers.

Last year, United signed a deal with Starlink to provide in-flight internet services across its entire fleet of over 1,000 aircraft over the next several years.

Starlink, a unit of SpaceX, has inked deals with multiple airlines to provide in-flight internet services, as it seeks to expand its reach beyond consumers and households in rural areas around the world with little- to no internet access.

The satellite-based internet services provider has previously signed deals with Hawaiian Airlines and regional carrier JSX.

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