SpaceX’s Starlink nabs American Airlines contract, another win for its IPO

SpaceX旗下Starlink拿下美国航空合同，为其IPO再添胜绩

American Airlines said Tuesday it plans to install Starlink on more than 500 narrow-body Airbus aircraft beginning early next year, the latest carrier to pick the SpaceX unit for inflight Wi-Fi service. 美国航空周二表示，计划从明年年初开始，在超过500架空客窄体飞机上安装Starlink（星链）系统。这是继其他航空公司之后，又一家选择该SpaceX旗下部门提供机上Wi-Fi服务的航司。

The deal provides more than just financial lift for Starlink, the satellite communications network and the only SpaceX business unit that generates meaningful revenue. It also hands SpaceX a win over the competition — such as Amazon Leo and other legacy providers like Viasat. 对于Starlink而言，这笔交易带来的不仅仅是财务上的增长。作为卫星通信网络，Starlink是SpaceX目前唯一能产生可观收入的业务部门。此举也让SpaceX在与亚马逊Leo以及Viasat等传统供应商的竞争中占据了上风。

Starlink satellites use a low Earth orbit to provide broadband internet for consumers as well as enterprise customers like American Airlines. The company has pursued contracts with airlines and cruise operators with some success. Starlink卫星利用低地球轨道为消费者以及像美国航空这样的企业客户提供宽带互联网服务。该公司一直在积极争取与航空公司和邮轮运营商的合作，并已取得了一定成效。

United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa Group, British Airways, and Alaska Airlines (which merged with Hawaiian Airlines) have equipped some aircraft with Starlink, according to SpaceX’s IPO registration filing that was released last week. 根据SpaceX上周发布的IPO注册文件显示，美联航、西南航空、卡塔尔航空、汉莎航空集团、英国航空以及阿拉斯加航空（已与夏威夷航空合并）的部分机队已经配备了Starlink系统。

American Airlines is the latest, although not all of its aircraft will get the Starlink upgrade. The airline’s new Airbus A321XLR and A320neo aircraft will get Starlink; its Boeing aircraft are not part of this agreement. 美国航空是最新加入的合作伙伴，尽管并非其所有机型都会进行Starlink升级。该航司新购入的空客A321XLR和A320neo机型将配备Starlink，而其波音机队并不在此次协议范围内。

Still, it provides another tailwind for SpaceX in the lead-up to its highly anticipated IPO next month, which is projected to be the largest in history. 尽管如此，这仍为SpaceX下个月备受瞩目的IPO提供了又一助力。此次IPO预计将成为史上规模最大的一次上市。