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Emirates Airbus A380 Returns To Service With Starlink Wi-Fi

The first upgraded superjumbo re-enters service after a cabin refit as the airline pushes high-speed internet across its fleet.

Published

5 months ago

April 27, 2026

Nour Nasir

Emirates

Emirates has returned its first Airbus A380 fitted with Starlink satellite internet to service, upgrading onboard connectivity on its flagship aircraft.

The jet arrived back in Dubai this week after installation and certification work in the UK. Three antennas now sit on the aircraft, replacing older systems that struggled to support more than basic browsing.

The difference is reported to be huge. The new setup can deliver more than 2 Gbps of total bandwidth across the cabin, enough for passengers to stream, work, and stay online during long-haul flights. Access will be free in every cabin.

The shift reflects a broader interest in low-earth orbit networks. Starlink is currently the largest and most viable contender in this space, and is already changing expectations for inflight connectivity.

“Partnering with Starlink is another defining moment in our continuous commitment to ensuring our customers fly better,” said Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airlines. “We’re introducing the world’s fastest Wi-Fi, elevating what passengers can expect from inflight connectivity”.

Adapting the system to the double-decker Airbus A380 meant adding extra hardware. The aircraft carries more passengers than a 777 and requires an additional antenna and more access points to maintain stable coverage across both decks.

Emirates plans to scale quickly. Installations will now take place at its Dubai engineering base, with more A380s scheduled through 2026. The airline has already equipped 25 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, with more than 650,000 passengers having used the service.

Also Read: Private Jet Operator AirX Wins Saudi Aviation Clearance

The rollout is part of a broader upgrade cycle at Emirates. The carrier has been refitting cabins, adding Premium Economy, and overhauling inflight entertainment. More than 90 aircraft have already been refurbished.

For Gulf carriers, connectivity is becoming part of the core product.

Next steps for Emirates include live TV over Starlink, first on personal devices, then on seatback screens.

Related Topics:Aviation Emirates Airline Starlink

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Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

2 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.