Japanese carrier Zipair is making free inflight high-speed internet for passengers the cornerstone of its business strategy.

The airline’s chief marketing officer, Takuya Matsuo, tells Smart Aviation APAC that it will have all eight of its Boeing 787-8s equipped with Starlink’s inflight Wi-fi by end of May.

Matsuo says: “We just started five years ago so if we do the same …as other carriers we won’t catch up, so we needed to think about” innovating and bringing something new to the market in terms the flight passenger experience.

“Zipair is not an LCC and it is, of course, not a full service carrier. We would like to be a ‘new basic’ carrier,” he says.

In this wide-ranging interview, Matsuo explains how the carrier is working to win over consumers by setting a new standard in airline travel, especially when it comes to free inflight connectivity and offering a digital-led inflight service.  Watch the full interview now on YouTube or listen on Spotify.