More than a decade after introducing fast, free Wi-Fi, JetBlue is refreshing the Fly-Fi experience. The carrier announced plans to upgrade a portion of its fleet as the first airline to confirm a deal with Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
Whether it’s binge-watching a favorite show, staying connected with loved ones, or wrapping up a work project, we’re always looking for ways to make our customers’ time in the air as connected and productive as they want it to be.
– Marty St. George, president, JetBlue
The new service promises the high speeds JetBlue passengers have become accustomed to since the first plane got online in 2013. More than that, really, as the first satellites in their proper orbital plane delivered 1.2Gbps to a terminal. Not that every aircraft will see necessarily those speeds, but the constellation packs a punch. For passengers the performance will be further improved by the lower latency of a satellite constellation in low earth orbit.
And, perhaps most importantly for travelers, JetBlue indicates it intends the service to remain free for all passengers.
The initial deployment targets JetBlue’s subfleet flying with the older Viasat hardware on board. Among other limitations, these aircraft drop offline as they head offshore. With the new system on board these planes will (eventually) be able to deliver high speed internet on Caribbean routes and elsewhere the current fleet goes dark. While JetBlue does not share details regarding which aircraft have which hardware on board, PaxEx.Aero tracking suggests roughly 50 qualify for a hardware refresh, mostly the original all-core A321 planes.
The companies expect aircraft to be configured with the new system beginning in 2027. More details on exactly which planes will be fitted, and when, are expected as the pair progress with satellite launches and qualification of the on-board hardware.
The deal is also a move away from long-standing partner Viasat as the sole satellite connectivity provider JetBlue has ever had (though the initial version was delivered via Thales, not a direct Viasat relationship).
While JetBlue leaves the door open to multi-orbit options in the future, this first tranche will use the LEO-only offering.
There’s more to the story… Dig deeper with a PaxEx.Aero Premium Subscription
Kuiper plans to ultimately deliver inflight connectivity via a constellation of more than 3,200 satellites in low earth orbit. The first 102 satellites recently entered orbit across four launches since April 2025. More than 70 launches remain to bring the full constellation online, though some service is expected to be available prior to completion of the full orbital network.
A favor to ask while you're here...
Did you enjoy the content? Or learn something useful? Or generally just think this is the type of story you'd like to see more of? Consider supporting the site through a donation (any amount helps). It helps keep me independent and avoiding the credit card schlock.
Leave a Reply