Amazon Leo unveils Aviation Antenna, touts up to 1 Gbps down for in‑flight Wi‑Fi — can it steal Starlink’s runway?

What Amazon is promising

Amazon Leo showed off a flat, low‑profile aviation antenna designed for commercial jets and said it can bring high‑speed satellite internet to passengers. It has been reported that the company claims the Leo Aviation Antenna can deliver up to 1 Gbps download and 400 Mbps upload simultaneously — shared bandwidth, of course, and subject to how airlines slice it up. The design looks a lot like SpaceX’s Starlink Aero Terminal: roof‑mounted, built to talk to low‑Earth orbit satellites, and aimed at letting folks stream, game, and Zoom at 30,000 feet.

How it sizes up to Starlink

Starlink already has a head start with installations on carriers such as United, Hawaiian and Air France, and public tests have shown speeds in the high‑double digits. It has been reported that Amazon is pitching a “single‑day installation” for its antenna, contrasting SpaceX’s quoted 10–14‑day installation window — an ambitious claim that could be a real selling point if it holds up. Trevor Vieweg, Amazon Leo’s director of global business, said they expect passengers to seek out flights with Leo connectivity. Bold, yes. Plausible? Time will tell.

Timeline, airlines and the bigger fight

Delta and JetBlue have reportedly signed on to use Leo, and both plan to offer the service for free (Delta will require a free loyalty signup). But the system is still in private beta with roughly 240 satellites in orbit, and it has been reported that Amazon expects to reach about 700 satellites by mid‑2026 — delays that pushed the company to request an FCC deadline extension. Leo won’t appear on Delta aircraft until 2028 and JetBlue until 2027, according to the company. So while the specs sound shiny, the real emotional moment in this race is the wait: will passengers switch their loyalties to whichever carrier promises the fastest, most reliable connection in the sky? The satellite internet scramble is getting more crowded — and noisier — by the month.

Sources: pcmag.com