A new report from Speedtest maker Ookla shows that some airlines are finally giving passengers fast, reliable Wi-Fi. The company pointed out SpaceX’s Starlink is leading the charge, based on Q1 2025 Speedtest Intelligence data.
Starlink uses low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to offer much faster internet compared to older satellites that orbit much farther away. That means better speeds and lower lag (latency)—the kind you need for gaming, streaming, or video calls.
Based on early 2025 data, Starlink clocked in at a median download speed of 152 Mbps, with upload speeds over 24 Mbps, and latency as low as 44 milliseconds — way ahead of everyone else.
Air Canada and WestJet are both included in the rankings, but only Air Canada stood out for solid speeds. WestJet’s performance was more mid-range, that’s because it has yet to fully implement Starlink across its entire fleet, in partnership with Telus.
Several airlines, including Spirit, Delta, Breeze, American, Aeromexico — and to a lesser extent, Air Canada—delivered 10th percentile download speeds above 10 Mbps, meaning even slower connections were usable for basic browsing. However, Air Canada’s overall median speeds remain below many international carriers and far behind Starlink-equipped airlines.
Ookla says WestJet lagged behind, with speeds and latency pointing to a more basic Wi-Fi experience. The airline partners with Panasonic Avionics, which doesn’t operate its own satellites but works with others to deliver service.
Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways, both powered by Starlink, led the pack in performance. Meanwhile, U.S. carriers like Delta and United are starting to roll out Starlink across their fleets.
Amazon’s Kuiper low-Earth satellite internet has entered space, but it still has yet to offer global coverage like Starlink, which for now remains the leader for in-flight Wi-Fi, says Ookla.
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I wonder, what system does Porter use. So far, my experience with their Internet was the best of the Canadian carriers. Fast and reliable. I honestly didn’t like their inflight product as much, because they don’t have any hot food on board or larger seats that you can upgrade to. That’s no big deal if you’re on a short hop from Toronto to Montreal or Ottawa, but a much bigger deal if you’re on a 5 hour flight from Toronto to Vancouver. On that long of a flight, they really need hot food options and bigger seats we can upgrade to. That aside, their Internet was really great! I wish I could get that on AC and WS, so I wonder which company they are working with.
I think it's Viasat?