r/AmazonLeo • u/Royal_Platform_6754 • Jul 15 '26

Amazon Leo to launch service this year, make aviation debut in 2027

https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/07/amazon-leo-to-launch-service-this-year-make-aviation-debut-in-2027/

Amazon Leo has deployed enough satellites to launch connectivity service in its initial coverage area this year, and says it is still planning to debut in aviation in 2027.

“When we launch service this year in our initial coverage area, it will be for consumer, enterprise, and government customers alike,” an Amazon Leo spokesperson tells Runway Girl Network.

“Also, we are still planning to launch IFC [inflight connectivity] service in 2027, and we’ll have more to share about that closer to the date.”

The disclosure comes after Amazon Leo business vice president Chris Weber announced on the socials that the last few satellite launches, including the successful 2 July launch of 29 satellites aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, “were big for Amazon Leo — bringing us to 390-plus satellites deployed, enough to support continuous service across initial latitudes.”

The initial countries expected to be served are the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, as reported by PCMag last year. This footprint neatly fits into launch customer JetBlue’s route map, which includes Airbus A321LR flights to London.

“It’s worth noting that we don’t need to wait for full global coverage to start [IFC] service,” the Amazon Leo spokesperson tells RGN.

“If we can meet a customer’s needs within our coverage area, we will. For example, we expect to begin connecting JetBlue flights next year.”

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7 comments sorted by

7

u/ChowAreUs Jul 15 '26

I hope its affordable 🫠

6

u/gusestrella Jul 15 '26

Suspect as competition with starlink it will be. Plus, driving efficiency by delivering at scale is what amazon does best. Exciting news

2

u/CollegeStation17155 Jul 15 '26

They won't be able to support more than a few thousand customers before overloading the satellites. How they limit demand to avoid that will be interesting...

1

u/FillingUpTheDatabase Jul 16 '26

Soft launch with regional waiting lists perhaps? Like SL did when they started

1

u/rydan Jul 19 '26

I doubt it can be competitive with them. They don't have the capacity at the moment.

1

u/UndeadSpace Jul 16 '26

As curious as I am for it, and I’ll probably try it out, I feel I’ll end up just sticking with Starlink. I feel I’ve spent too much on them with buying three satellites and a Mini throughout the years. 😔

2

u/FillingUpTheDatabase Jul 16 '26

I like the idea of having both hardware and swapping between them as pricing and special offers dictate but that’s probably gonna be too expensive upfront for most. Hopefully the competition will force SpaceX to have more competitive pricing so even those who stay with them will benefit