JetBlue is pushing forward with its FlyFi project, with the announcement that it is the first airline in the world to sign on with Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
Project Kuiper is a Low Earth Orbit satellite broadband network. It is akin to the OneWeb network and SpaceX’s Starlink network.
It will be branded onboard and known as Fly-Fi. JetBlue launched Fly-Fi in 2013 to become the first major U.S. airline to offer free, high-speed Wi-Fi on every aircraft in its fleet.
Building on this, JetBlue will start to introduce Project Kuiper on a portion of its fleet in 2027. This planned rollout would mark the next evolution of Fly-Fi and in-flight connectivity, with the aim of keeping customers streaming, scrolling and sharing with ease from gate to gate and always for free.
JetBlue will install Project Kuiper technology on aircraft currently flying JetBlue’s original Fly-Fi technology, enhancing the customer experience with its next-gen satellite connectivity with faster speeds and lower latency. This will cover older Airbus A320 family aircraft primarily.
While aircraft outfitted with Project Kuiper will rely on the new low Earth orbit system, JetBlue is positioned to explore a multi-orbit solution in the future, which could combine the strengths of both its low Earth orbit and GEO networks for even more robust in-flight connectivity (as this blog has discussed in past).
In Quotes
Marty St. George, president, JetBlue, said:
“Our agreement with Project Kuiper marks an exciting leap forward for us as the hands-down leader in onboard connectivity,” said
“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.”
Panos Panay, senior vice president of Amazon Devices & Services, added
“Staying connected is part of everyday life, even when you’re traveling,”
“With Project Kuiper, we’re working to ensure customers can enjoy fast, reliable internet wherever they are—at home or 35,000 feet in the air—and we’re pumped to bring that to life with JetBlue.”
A Growing Constellation
Amazon is slowly deploying its Kuiper constellation, with them reporting that there are now more than 100 Kuiper satellites in orbit. Compared to OneWeb and Starlink, that’s not a lot.
But Amazon is working on delivery and increasing the size of the constellation, with four rocket launches in four months, with many more to go, as the network will need to be vast to cover the globe.
For JetBlue passengers, patience is required as the new connectivity will be flying in 2027, subject to the constellation being in place, terminals and antennas tested, as well as the issues that crop up during a brand new deployment. More details on installation timelines, routes, and aircraft will be shared by the airline as things progress.
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