Many major airlines are bolstering their inflight network services with SpaceX's Starlink satellites, but JetBlue has chosen a different direction. Amazon and JetBlue announced a partnership on Thursday that will see JetBlue use Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites to provide free connectivity to passengers starting in 2027.
Kuiper terminals on JetBlue aircraft will be able to achieve download speeds of up to 1Gbps via Amazon's low Earth orbit satellites. The bandwidth is well above Starlink's current maximum of 250 Mbps. Still, Amazon plans to deploy a network of only 3,226 satellites, while SpaceX has already launched more than 8,000. Amazon had previously said it was more concerned about "unserved and underserved communities around the world," but has now removed that statement from its official website.
When the service goes live, JetBlue will be the first airline to use Kuiper satellites. Amazon will begin launching these satellites in April 2025. Earlier this year, Amazon also announced it was integrating its satellite internet technology with Airbus aircraft.
The contracts are significant for the Kuiper project, which has been in the works for years but has been plagued by production problems. However, Amazon said it was confident it could launch the first half of its network into orbit by the mid-2026 deadline required by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).