Qatar and Google set a new industry benchmark with the first-ever inflight commercial production powered entirely by the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky and Gemini’s image and video generation models
The activation marks Qatar Airways’ latest Starlink rollout achievement – the free-for-all Wi-Fi is now offered on over 100 widebody aircraft, a mix of Boeing 777 and Airbus A350, operating the airline’s longest and most demanding global routes
Qatar Airways, the operator of the largest number of Starlink-equipped widebody aircraft, unveiled the Sky Studio Challenge” an industry-first Starlink-powered creative experiment developed in collaboration with Google.
Global challenge
The challenge successfully demonstrated for the first time that full commercials can be generated, produced, finalised, and uploaded onboard during a single, ultra-long-haul flight at 10 688 metres using Qatar Airways’ free, gate-to-gate*, high-speed Starlink connectivity.
The activation took place on 17 November 2025 onboard a Qatar Airways Starlink-enabled Airbus A350 operating a 15-hour flight from Doha to Atlanta. Using Google’s latest Gemini video and image AI generation models, two commercials were created entirely inflight.
As the first global challenge to generate, render, edit, and publish full AI-produced films before landing, the Sky Studio Challenge relied on Starlink speeds that rival most home broadband networks, enabling heavy file transfers, complex scene generation, real-time cloud workflows, and live collaboration with teams on the ground.
Now for one of the commercials.
The challenge brought together two of the most influential figures in AI film-making: PJ Accetturo and Torey Kohara. Accetturo is known for the viral Kalshi NBA Finals spot and collaborations with Grok and IM8.
He is recognised for developing bold visual concepts, dynamic pacing, and high-impact storytelling. Kohara, a prolific tech-focused director behind major Google campaigns, is celebrated for soft, cinematic narratives that transform complex technical concepts into emotionally resonant films.
Their contrasting creative approaches presented the breadth of possibilities when cutting-edge AI tools are paired with reliable, high-speed inflight connectivity.
Live on YouTube
While commercials have been filmed inside aircraft before, no brand has ever produced complete AI-generated films during a single flight and published them before landing. Starlink’s bandwidth and reliability enabled a level of capability previously unattainable in aviation, from complex multi-layer editing and rendering to high-volume cloud processing typically restricted to the ground.
The films produced on are live on Qatar Airways’ YouTube channel. The winning commercial will be determined by the audience engagement it receives over the course of one week. Films, behind-the-scenes content, and onboard footage are available in the following Qatar Airways’ YouTube playlist.
