"Many major airlines are beefing up their in-flight internet offerings by tapping SpaceX's Starlink satellites, but JetBlue is going in a different direction. Amazon and JetBlue announced Thursday a partnership under which the airline will instead use Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites to provide free in-flight connectivity starting in 2027. The Kuiper terminals on JetBlue's planes will be capable of download speeds of up to 1Gbps from Amazon's low-Earth orbit satellites."
"That's more bandwidth than Starlink's current max of 250 Mbps, although Amazon is only planning to build a network of 3,226 satellites, while SpaceX has launched more than 8,000. While Amazon has previously claimed it is more focused on "unserved and underserved communities around the world," that language has been removed from its website. When the service goes live, JetBlue will be the first airline to use Kuiper satellites, which Amazon started launching to space in April."
JetBlue will deploy Amazon's Project Kuiper terminals to provide free in-flight connectivity beginning in 2027. Kuiper terminals on JetBlue aircraft will offer download speeds up to 1 Gbps from Amazon's low-Earth-orbit satellite network. Kuiper's planned constellation consists of 3,226 satellites versus SpaceX's more than 8,000 launches, and Kuiper's peak speed claim exceeds Starlink's current 250 Mbps maximum. Amazon began Kuiper launches in April and has integrated its satellite internet technology with Airbus. Kuiper experienced production problems but reports it can meet the FCC's mid-2026 deadline for initial orbital deployment.
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