Onboard Wi-Fi: Royal Air Maroc bets on Starlink
Royal Air Maroc has forged a partnership with Starlink, SpaceX’s subsidiary dedicated to satellite internet, to equip its entire fleet with onboard Wi-Fi. This is a first on the African continent, placing the carrier among the major international airlines already adopting this technology.
An agreement reached after several months of negotiations
According to information reported by Africa Intelligence, the contract was signed on August 4th by Royal Air Maroc CEO Abdelhamid Addou, following months of negotiations focused on the financial and technical aspects of the project.
A gradual deployment until 2027
The project will not happen overnight. RAM plans a phased installation, following a testing phase already conducted on several aircraft. The rollout of Starlink Wi-Fi across the entire fleet, composed primarily of Boeing aircraft (737, 787 Dreamliner and 767, totaling approximately sixty planes), is expected by 2027.
Why Starlink rather than another solution?
Unlike traditional Ka-band satellite systems, used for example by Ethiopian Airlines for its own connectivity service, Starlink relies on a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit. This architecture theoretically allows for higher bandwidth and reduced latency, approaching what a user experiences with a terrestrial connection. In practical terms, this should allow passengers to navigate, work, stream videos, or stay active on social media throughout the flight, even over oceans or in remote areas, thanks to the laser links connecting the satellites.
With this agreement, Royal Air Maroc joins a long list of airlines that have chosen Starlink, including Air France, Qatar Airways, United Airlines, and several subsidiaries of the Lufthansa Group. Air France’s presence, as a partner of RAM within the SkyTeam alliance and already equipped since the end of 2024, is believed to have influenced the Moroccan carrier’s decision.
Free or paid Wi-Fi? The question remains open
This is undoubtedly the question that most interests travelers, and it currently has no official answer. Royal Air Maroc has not released any details on the conditions of access to the service: completely free, partially free depending on the travel class (Business, Premium Economy, Economy) or ticket type, paid options per session or per hour, packages included for frequent flyers in the Safar Flyer loyalty program… all possibilities remain open.
The available information only suggests a phased pricing strategy, designed to minimize the risk of interference during the service’s gradual rollout across the fleet. We will therefore have to wait for Royal Air Maroc’s official announcement of its commercial offer to know which aircraft will be equipped first, at what price, and under what access rules.
By comparison, several airlines that have already adopted Starlink offer free and unlimited access to all passengers, regardless of the class booked. This policy has, in fact, contributed to making this technology a strong selling point. There is no indication at present whether Royal Air Maroc will follow this path or opt for a more segmented model based on cabin class.