Major Upgrade for The Turboprop ATR 72 Lineup – EASA Starlink Certification

Major Upgrade for The Turboprop ATR 72 Lineup - EASA Starlink Certification

Written by

Alex Achille

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There is, justifiably, a huge hype around inflight high speed connectivity. It seems to have been the hot topic for airlines in late 2024 and it still seems to be so in early 2025. Along with carriers aircraft manufacturers also have to take steps to remain part of the game and remain attractive to airlines that, in larger numbers, want to offer passengers high speed onboard internet. That is also the case for smaller manufacturers such as ATR.

You might not think of this as something that aircraft manufacturers have to go through to install a small box on the top of an aircraft’s fuselage. However, anything that impacts the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft needs to undergo a civil aviation authority’s scrutiny. Nothing can be left to chance, everything needs to e tested in aviation to maintain the industry’s safety record as pristine as possible.

That is exactly what ATR, the French-Italian turboprop regional aircraft producer, had to do with its ATR 72 models. In order to allow airlines to install Starlink connectivity it needed to receive a Supplemental Type Certificate (or STC). Which means an addition to the certificate originally released by EASA (Europe’s Aviation Safety Authority) allowing the aircraft to enter commercial service.

Now the ATR 72 has this additional certification STC and is allowed to be fitted or retrofitted with the necessary equipment for Starlink high-speed connectivity. You will be able to spot the box just behind the wings on fitted aircraft. It won’t be long before we have the first planes flying with the equipment mounted.

ATR 72-600 With Starlink connectivity system installed. The launch client for the new technology applied to the ATR 72 will be Air New Zealand completing the installation by 2025
ATR 72-600 With Starlink connectivity system installed

Air New Zealand the First Airline to Use The New Capabilities

Air New Zealand a prominent user of the ATR family of aircraft for its short island hops will be the first carrier to install Starlink connectivity on its fleet of 30 ATR 72-600.

The retrofitting of the receiving and transmitting equipment has started and will see the entire fleet be retrofitted before the year is over (2025). That will mean that passengers will enjoy high speed internet connectivity from gate to gate even when traveling on the smallest planes in the Air New Zealand fleet.

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Alex Achille

Ex Emirates Cabin Crew and long time aviation enthusiast. I can remember loving aviation and planes since I was a very little boy. I have developed my passion into a deep knowledge of the sector and industry to offer on my sites in depth and precise analyses of what is going on. I also completed cabin crew training with Ryanair, however, I never worked for the company (more on that another time). Finally I also have taken flying lessons completing my first solo flights.