JetBlue Airways Airbus A321-231 will depart San Diego International Airport on March 4, 2025 in San Diego, California on the way to New York.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images
JetBlue Airways Plan to install AmazonProject Kuiper on several planes announced on Thursday with a vote of trust for the new Internet satellite service to enhance Wi-Fi in flight.
The technology will add to about a quarter of the airline’s fleet, and will begin rolling out in 2027 and be completed in 2028, JetBlue President Marty St. George said in a call with a reporter.
Team Up is a big win for Amazon, working on building Internet beam satellite constellations in low-Earth orbits called Project Kuiper. The service will compete directly with Elon Musk’s Starlink, which currently dominates the market and has 8,000 satellites in orbit.
Amazon has sent 102 satellites through a series of rocket launches since April. The company aims to meet the Federal Communications Commission deadline in orbit by the end of July 2026.
The company hopes to launch commercial services later this year.
“There’s still a lot to do, but I’m extremely excited to have JetBlue as a customer of Kuiper’s first airline,” Chris Weber, vice president of sales and marketing at Kuiper, told reporters.
Starlink has signed up more and more airlines to use the service. JetBlue is Kuiper’s first airline partner, but Amazon recently signed several deals in April to try to expand its services, including European plane maker Airbus.
JetBlue has been offering free internet for years through its partnership with ViasatGeostationary, or Geo, operate satellite networks. The partnership will continue, St. George said.
He praised Amazon’s satellite services, saying Kuiper offers faster, lower latency and higher reliability compared to GEO satellite networks. JetBlue will ultimately be able to use a combination of low-earth orbit and GEO satellites for the Internet in flight, St. George added.
US airlines have been working to improve Wi-Fi during flights.
Southwest Airlines On Thursday, it said it will provide free Wi-Fi to members of the Rapid Rewards Loyalty program through a partnership with T-Mobile From October 24th
Delta Air Lines Following JetBlue, which announces free connectivity in 2023 for Skymiles Loyalty Program members. Hawaiian Airlines uses free in-flight Wi-Fi using Starlink. Alaska Airlineswhich acquired that career last year, but recently said he will dress up on planes for the same service.
United Airlines They are also working to equip the plane to provide free Wi-Fi to members of the loyalty program via StarLink. American Airlinesfor that part, in April, said that for members of the AADVantage program, most planes will have free internet flying next year.
