JetBlue announced it will begin offering in-flight Wi‑Fi powered by Amazon’s Project Kuiper on select aircraft starting in 2027, marking Kuiper’s first commercial agreement with an airline and a direct move into the inflight connectivity market dominated by Starlink.
Key Takeaways
- JetBlue will deploy Project Kuiper internet on select aircraft beginning in 2027.
- This is Project Kuiper’s first airline partnership as Amazon expands its LEO constellation.
- Amazon launched its first 27 Kuiper satellites in April and now has more than 100 in orbit; the full plan calls for about 3,200 satellites.
- Kuiper satellites orbit at roughly 367–391 miles, far lower than geostationary systems and intended to reduce latency.
- Amazon demonstrated a download speed just over 1 Gbps using an enterprise-grade terminal; consumer performance is not yet proven at scale.
- Amazon has a manufacturing agreement with Airbus to integrate Kuiper connectivity into aircraft designs.
- Starlink currently has a much larger fleet (over 8,000 satellites), so Kuiper will scale up over several years.
Verified Facts
JetBlue said the Kuiper service will be available on “select” aircraft when the airline begins offering the service in 2027. The carrier and Amazon have not published a full fleet timeline or the percentage of planes that will have Kuiper-equipped antennas at rollout.
Amazon first launched 27 low‑Earth orbit (LEO) Kuiper satellites in April 2025 and reported that the constellation has passed the 100‑satellite mark. Amazon’s longer-term filings and public statements indicate an eventual target of roughly 3,200 satellites to achieve planned coverage and capacity.
Kuiper satellites operate at approximately 367–391 miles (about 590–630 kilometers) above Earth, a much lower altitude than geostationary satellites (~22,369 miles). That lower orbit is intended to lower round‑trip latency for internet traffic compared with GEO systems.
At an Amazon demonstration, Chief Product Officer Panos Panay showed an “enterprise‑grade customer terminal” achieving just over a gigabit per second download. Amazon and JetBlue emphasized the demonstration used a commercial-grade dish rather than the consumer units that passengers will use; Amazon has additional launches planned later in September 2025 to grow capacity.
Amazon also announced a deal with Airbus to build Kuiper connectivity into aircraft, a separate arrangement that supports installation and certification work with airframers and airlines.
Context & Impact
The JetBlue deal places Amazon squarely in direct competition with SpaceX’s Starlink, which has secured agreements with carriers including United, Hawaiian Airlines, and Air France. Starlink has already deployed thousands of satellites and established multiple airline partnerships.
For passengers, LEO systems like Kuiper promise lower latency and higher throughput than traditional geostationary inflight satellites, enabling smoother video streaming, videoconferencing, and more responsive web applications during flight.
For airlines, satellite broadband can become a differentiator and ancillary revenue source, but operators face technical hurdles: installing antenna hardware, obtaining regulatory approvals and Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs), and ensuring consistent coverage during busy periods.
Operationally, carriers and satellite providers must manage capacity allocation across many simultaneous onboard users and handoffs between satellites as planes traverse coverage footprints. Those network-level challenges will determine the user experience more than headline speed tests.
Official Statements
Amazon said its Kuiper satellites orbit in low Earth orbit and will deliver “lower latency and more reliable service” for inflight passengers.
Amazon / Project Kuiper (company statement reported by media)
Unconfirmed
- Exact coverage percentage of JetBlue’s fleet at the 2027 launch date—JetBlue has not released a deployment schedule by aircraft type or region.
- How consumer‑grade Kuiper terminals will perform under full passenger load compared with enterprise demo results.
- Precise certification and installation timelines for different aircraft models beyond the general 2027 service start.
Bottom Line
JetBlue’s agreement gives Amazon its first in‑airline foothold for Project Kuiper and signals Amazon’s intent to be a major player in airline connectivity. Kuiper still trails Starlink in deployed capacity, so passenger experience and competitive dynamics will depend on how quickly Amazon scales launches, ground infrastructure, and aircraft integrations.