JOHANNESBURG – The seatbelt sign is off, your laptop is out and thanks to Starlink, your inbox is fully connected at cruising altitude. Welcome to the Age of the Sky Office.
SpaceX’s rollout of Starlink Aviation – the low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet service launched in late 2022 – is turning air travel into an always-on workspace. Unlike traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, this next-gen system offers high-bandwidth connectivity with minimal latency thanks to its lower-altitude satellites and broad network coverage. Zoom meetings. VPN access. Cloud syncing. All from your tray table.
Numerous global carriers are already on board. United Airlines, Delta, Air France/KLM, Air New Zealand and Qatar Airways are either installing or trialling Starlink on international flights. And in South Africa? Local low-cost airline FlySafair has expressed interest in offering it on domestic routes – pending regulatory approval from local authorities.
“From a business travel perspective, this opens doors,” says Mummy Mafojane, General Manager of FCM South Africa. “You can spend fewer nights away from home or HQ by working en route – and arrive meeting-ready on landing.”
She adds that businesses stand to benefit, too: “Reduced downtime means tighter itineraries with tangible savings for finance teams focused on ROI per trip segment.”
It’s a big leap forward. But here’s the million-rand question: just because you can work mid-air, should you?
Why Disconnecting Is (Still) a Power Move
Aeroplane mode used to offer sanctuary – a rare pocket of digital peace where being unreachable was acceptable protocol. That window is closing fast, and not everyone’s cheering about it.
“With the arrival of Starlink,” Mafojane warns, “the last frontier of protected personal time is disappearing. We talk about flexibility as progress, but true flexibility also means having permission not to be online all the time,” she adds.
The growing expectation that employees should always be available (even mid-air) raises red flags around wellbeing and cognitive overload. Economy class isn’t designed for deep work: there’s limited legroom, no privacy, and tray tables that barely fit a laptop, let alone spreadsheets or sensitive documents.
“If you’re expecting staff to genuinely perform while flying, a business class upgrade isn’t indulgent; it’s infrastructure,” says Mafojane. “You can’t ask someone to deliver executive-level output while balancing their device next to someone else’s elbow,” she notes. “If productivity’s the aim, comfort has got to be part of it.”
It comes down not just to policy alignment but practical respect for what inflight work actually entails day-to-day across different classes or cabin configurations.
Where Travel Policies Need a Rethink
Here are five critical areas businesses need clarity around to respond to this innovation, says Mafojane:
Availability Expectations
Are employees expected (or even encouraged) to check emails or attend meetings while airborne? If yes… when? On every flight? Just long-hauls? Default assumptions need to be replaced with clear guidelines so people don’t feel pressured into being permanently online.
Wellbeing Boundaries
Just because connectivity exists doesn’t mean rest disappears. Consider building intentional ‘offline hours’ into policy language or advising against screen time during overnight legs (where recovery matters most.)
Cabin Class Criteria
If productivity inflight becomes a central strategy, it may require loosening restrictions around cabin upgrades based not only on seniority but also on job function during transit.
Digital Etiquette & Presence
With passengers turning cabins into ad-hoc offices: Is video calling okay next door? Are noise-cancelling headphones mandatory? Should specific tasks be discouraged unless seated privately? Companies can prevent awkward moments by embedding etiquette reminders into pre-travel guidance materials.
Data Security Protocols
High speed doesn’t equal high security. Employees must know when and how to safely handle confidential information over public networks like inflight Wi-Fi. For example, VPN use should be standard; sensitive files should stay closed if shoulder-surfers abound, and screen filters may become essential accessories.
“The tools are here, and they’re powerful,” concludes Mafojane. But companies need policies that protect people along with performance goals.”
**ends**
About FCM Travel:
FCM Travel, the flagship corporate travel brand at Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), is the business travel partner of choice for large national, multinational and global corporations. We are an award-winning global corporate travel management company ranking as one of the top five by size around the world. We operate a global network which spans more than 100 countries, employing over 6000 people.
FCM are transforming the business of travel through our empowered and accountable people who deliver 24/7 service and are available either online or offline. Leveraging FCM’s negotiating strength and supplier relationships in conjunction with our tailored business travel programs, our expertise delivers more for our clients where it matters most to them
Visit us at www.fcmtravel.co.za
Issued by: Big Ambitions
Contact: Lori Cohen
Tel: +27 79 641 4965
Email: Lori@bigambitions.co.za
