• Home
  • About
    • Where has GhettoIFE gone?
    • For PR’s and Agencies (Changes and Corrections)
    • Privacy Policy
  • Snapshots
  • Trip Reports
  • Travel Plus…
    • … Technology
    • … Photography

Economy Class & Beyond

You are here: Home / IFE+C / ATR Aircraft brings Starlink Connectivity to the ATR72 family

ATR Aircraft brings Starlink Connectivity to the ATR72 family

21/01/2025 by Kevincm

ATR has been working on connectivity to its aircraft, with them working with PMV Engineering to allow Starlink-based connectivity to be added onboard.

ATR72-600 with Starlink anennta - image, ATR

After successful test flights carried out on ATR’s 72-600 test aircraft in the past months, the solution has been certified by EASA.

Under the agreement, PMV Engineering has developed the necessary modifications for the certification of the Starlink aeroterminal on ATR aircraft, which is now available as a retrofit option on ATR 72-500 and ATR72-600 for all ATR operators through a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC).

This is enabled with a compact antenna size and housing which suits that ATR platform’s aerodynamics (and thus a lower fuel penalty).

ATR Starlink Antenna - Image, ATR ATR Starlink Antenna - Image, ATR
A closeup of the PWV Engineering/Starlink Antenna installed on an ATR72-600 – Images, ATR

Air New Zealand is poised to be the launch customer, bringing internet connectivity to its domestic flights from 2025.

Starlink by SpaceX operates in low-earth Orbit and thus has lower latency than Geostationary or Mid-Orbit solutions. This allows the delivery of high-speed connectivity, allowing passengers to enjoy inflight streaming, video calling, and online gaming as well as creating encrypted VPN tunnels, giving an at-home experience in the air.

In addition to passenger benefits, this system will also allow pilots to connect to aviation weather services, aiming to enhance flight safety through more informed decision-making.

In Quotes

Nikhil Ravishankar, Chief Digital Officer at Air New Zealand, said:

“We’re always looking at how new and innovative technology can deliver improved customer experiences and with the world’s largest satellite constellation, exploring in-motion connectivity on our aircraft with Starlink was a no brainer. Whether travelling for work or leisure, we know maintaining seamless internet connectivity is something that will transform the travel experience for customers. We can’t wait to bring connectivity to our domestic flights. Collaborating with ATR and the PMV Engineering team has been fantastic, and their expertise has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life.”

Eric Sperazza, Chief Executive Officer at PMV Engineering, added:

“We’re honoured to be the providers of such a revolutionary technology onboard ATR aircraft, sharing our expertise and solution-led approach to open up new opportunities for ATR, its customers and their passengers.

Daniel Cuchet, Senior Vice-President Engineering at ATR, commented:

“Starlink opens up a new era for ATR, offering unparalleled levels of comfort and passenger experience in the regional market. This achievement demonstrates our dedication to staying ahead of the curve, responding to the latest travel trends in line with our customers’ expectations, and collaborating with industry-leading partners who share a vision of excellence and innovation to transform the way people experience air travel.”

Beyond Starlink

The move to the connected cabin has been slow but gradual as airlines continue to adopt connectivity solutions for their cabins across the fleet. With passengers expecting some form of connectivity, having services like Starlink on an ATR Aircraft will be important.

However, the connected cabin does stop at connectivity, as other things help deliver a connected cabin. ATR can seemingly meet these requests, with the ability to integrate USB sockets in all seats, In-Flight Entertainment systems, high-speed internet, and a whole range of high-end cabin solutions via the ATR HighLine collection which we’ve covered in this blog.

ATR expects strong interest from airlines worldwide, as well as markets where mature inflight connectivity solutions are in place. This could play well into the airframers’ advantage when progressing orders.

We’ll have to see if any airlines opt for further aircraft because of this connectivity move.


Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond. Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, in-depth coverage, unique research, as well as the humour and madness I only know how to deliver.

Our Social Media pool has expanded. You can find us across most networks as @economybeyond on BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon and Instagram!

Also, remember that we are part of the BoardingArea community, bringing you the latest frequent flyer news from around the world.

Related

Air Algerie Domestic Airline ATR72-600 - Rendering, ATR

Air Algérie signs for 16 ATR72-600 aircraft

It seems negotiations from beyond the Paris Air Show are paying off with Air Algérie signing for new aircraft from ATR. Air Algerie Domestic Airline ATR72-600 - Rendering, ATR Air Algérie has placed a firm order for 16 brand new ATR 72-600 aircraft, reaffirming a trusted relationship that spans over two…

04/07/2025

In "New Aircraft News"

a plane on the runway

Rise Air to become the first Canadian ATR72-600 operator

Candian operator Rise Air is set to become ATR's launch customer for the ATR72-600 in Canada. Rise Air is a 100 per cent Indigenous-owned airline that provides essential services across Saskatchewan, is upgrading its fleet with three new 68-seat ATR 72-600, becoming the Canadian launch customer for the latest generation ATR -600 series. The first…

06/11/2024

In "New Aircraft News"

SkyExpress Greece ATR72-600 - Image, ATR

Sky Express Greece to add further ATR aircraft to its fleet

Sky Express Greece is growing its fleet of ATR Aircraft in its fleet, as it rounds out its operation. The airline took delivery of the first of two ATR72-600 aircraft, leased from the IOGR group. This marks another important step in SKY Express’ development, as the airline is growing its regional…

11/01/2024

In "New Aircraft News"

Filed Under: IFE+C

Comments

  1. lars says

    21/01/2025 at 9:40 am

    This is cool, but with ATR’s we’re generally talking about flights that are “short hops”. I don’t know how much this helps in the competitive landscape when it comes time for someone to purchase a ticket.

    That said, I know Air Tahiti runs some “long haul” ATR flights of multiple hours (taking a big weight penalty/not selling all seats) to its more remote outstations. So it would be nice there. But then again, there’s no competition on those routes.

    • Kevincm says

      21/01/2025 at 9:43 am

      I think the bigger use cases are on hour long flights and longer… in certain countries that need the connectivity map.

      ATR has made inroads in Africa, which could be a core market. I see this however as a chance to further present the type to the USA regional market and try and pull ground over the older 50 seaters, where some sort of connectivity is “demanded”.

      Some people can’t live without internet for an hour it seems..

  • Bluesky
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Mastodon
  • RSS
  • Threads

Recent Posts

  • Virgin Atlantic maps out a more premium future
  • Vietjet Thailand selects Blueview IFE
  • Heathrow to offer Fast-Track Arrivals from £25 a time. Worth it?
  • Norse Atlantic Airways continues its Thai push
  • Airplane Art – Wizz Air Malta Airbus A321neo at Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates daily and to hear what's going on with us!

Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2025 Economy Class & Beyond All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Economy Class & Beyond with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.