Delta Air Lines Picks Amazon Leo for 1Gbps In-Flight Wi-Fi

In-flight Wi-Fi has long been the Achilles' heel of air travel, often leaving passengers frustrated with dial-up speeds at 30,000 feet. However, that is about to change significantly for Delta passengers. Delta Air Lines and Amazon have officially announced a partnership to bring Amazon Leo (formerly known as Project Kuiper) satellite internet to Delta flights starting in 2028. This move represents a major competitive strike against Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has been leading the charge in the satellite internet space.

The deal will initially see Amazon’s satellite hardware installed on 500 Delta aircraft. Each plane will be equipped with its own dedicated Leo antenna, promising a connectivity experience that feels just like being at home. Amazon is making some bold promises here: we are talking about download speeds of up to 1Gbps and upload speeds of 400Mbps. If these figures hold up in real-world scenarios, passengers will be able to stream 4K movies, participate in lag-free video calls, and even play online games while crossing the ocean.

For the frequent flyers among us, there is even better news. If you are a Delta SkyMiles member, this high-speed service will be available to you for free. This applies to all of Delta’s 300+ global destinations, making the loyalty program even more attractive to tech-savvy travelers. Amazon is currently ramping up its satellite production, with about 200 satellites already in low Earth orbit and plans to accelerate launches throughout the year.

While SpaceX’s Starlink already has a head start with partners like United and Hawaiian Airlines, Amazon is leveraging its existing relationship with Delta to close the gap. Delta already uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its core reservation systems, so moving their connectivity needs to Amazon’s orbit seems like a natural evolution. It looks like the battle for the skies is just heating up, and for once, the passengers are the ones who will win with better, faster internet.