Starlink is closing in on a deal with Saudi Arabian airline carrier Saudia to provide its in-flight Internet service.

As reported by Bloomberg, Elon Musk's SpaceX subsidiary is in advanced discussions to secure a contract with Saudi Arabia's biggest airline.

Saudia is currently finalizing a deal to roll out the service across its fleet of more than 140 aircraft, noted sources to Bloomberg.

A potential deal would give Starlink a foothold in the Gulf region, where competition to provide in-flight connectivity has increased.

Established companies such as Viasat and Neo Space Group, owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, are also pushing to strike deals with the airline carriers in the region.

Bloomberg reports that Starlink is also in talks with United Arab Emirates-based carrier Emirates for a similar deal, plus Bahrain's Gulf Air.

SpaceX set up a dedicated division for its in-flight connectivity service in 2022 called Starlink Aviation.

It was reported at launch that SpaceX priced the service at between $12,500 and $25,000 a month, while there was also a one-time hardware charge of $150,000.

Bloomberg notes that airline carriers can pay anywhere between $300,000 and $500,000 for upfront hardware costs to provide WiFi services. On top of this, there's a monthly fee for each seat.

Starlink already has other in-flight connectivity agreements in place, including with United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Air France.

Several other airlines, including airBaltic, Zipair Tokyo, and JSX, have also chosen Starlink Aviation, the company's in-flight Internet service. JSX’s entire Embraer ERJ fleet is already fitted with the system.