Key Highlights
- Delta Air Lines will install Amazon’s Leo satellite internet across 500 aircraft beginning in 2028
- Amazon secured its second major airline partnership following a 2027 JetBlue agreement
- The service offers download speeds reaching 1 Gbps with upload capabilities of 400 Mbps
- Amazon deployed 214 satellites beginning April 2025 with over 20 additional launches scheduled this year
- SpaceX Starlink maintains market leadership with more than 10,000 satellites operational since 2019
Delta Air Lines and Amazon announced their partnership on Tuesday, revealing plans to equip 500 Delta aircraft with the Leo satellite internet platform. The rollout will begin in 2028, initially serving routes across the continental United States.
Leo derives its name from Low Earth Orbit. Amazon positions these satellites approximately 370 miles above Earth’s surface, placing them 50 times nearer than traditional geostationary satellites. This proximity significantly reduces latency while enhancing connection reliability.
The terminals installed on Delta’s aircraft will deliver download speeds reaching 1 gigabit per second alongside upload speeds of 400 megabits per second. These speeds enable passengers to conduct video conferences and stream content from platforms like Netflix during their flights.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy emphasized the partnership demonstrates Leo’s capabilities at commercial scale. “It’s going to change what’s possible while traveling,” he stated in the announcement.
Delta presently operates Viasat and Hughes satellite connectivity systems throughout its approximately 1,200-plane fleet, serving passengers enrolled in the SkyMiles program. The airline reports that roughly 163 million members have accessed these services.
Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s chief marketing officer, noted that the airline selected Leo partially due to its established collaboration with Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud infrastructure division. Neither party revealed financial details of the arrangement.
This agreement marks Amazon’s second airline collaboration. The company previously partnered with JetBlue to install Leo connectivity on one-quarter of that carrier’s aircraft fleet, with service launching in 2027.
Amazon Accelerates Satellite Deployment
Amazon deployed 214 satellites starting in April 2025 and has scheduled more than 20 additional launches throughout the coming year. The company reports it has doubled its deployment velocity.
Chris Weber, Amazon vice president, indicated commercial service will begin within months. The company plans to activate coverage in limited geographic areas initially, expanding availability as additional satellites achieve orbit.
Amazon maintains launch agreements totaling roughly 100 missions with Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance, and SpaceX’s Falcon 9 program. These contracts represent billions of dollars in commitments.
The company submitted a request to the FCC in January seeking a two-year extension beyond the July 2026 deadline requiring deployment of half its planned 3,200-satellite constellation. FCC Chair Brendan Carr openly questioned Amazon’s deployment timeline.
Starlink Maintains Industry Dominance
SpaceX’s Starlink network has placed over 10,000 satellites in orbit since 2019, establishing itself as the planet’s largest satellite operator. Its proprietary Falcon 9 launch vehicles provide substantial advantages in both economics and deployment speed.
Starlink currently serves multiple airline partners including Southwest and United Airlines. Southwest revealed its Starlink partnership during the previous month.
Amazon reports investing a minimum of $10 billion in Leo to provide connectivity services to consumers and enterprises worldwide. Weber stated the company is executing “everything in our control” to meet constellation deployment targets.
