Amazon Leo Aviation Antenna Revealed Promising Gigabit Speeds

Amazon is attempting to make its way into the in-flight connectivity space. On Monday, the online retail giant unveiled its new Leo aviation antenna, a key piece of hardware designed to bring gigabit-speed satellite internet to commercial aircraft.

Built to connect with Amazon’s growing low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network, the system promises speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) for downloads and 400 megabits per second (Mbps) for uploads—figures that place it firmly in the same performance category as Starlink’s aviation offering.

Unlike traditional satellite systems that rely on mechanical components, Amazon says its design uses a phased-array system with no moving parts, helping reduce maintenance requirements and improve reliability over time. It also features a low-profile form factor to minimize drag, with installation expected to take as little as a single day.

From a passenger perspective, the biggest impact will be the quality of the onboard internet experience. Amazon says its system can provide enough bandwidth to support an entire aircraft, enabling everything from high-definition streaming and online gaming to real-time collaboration tools for business travelers.

This puts it in direct competition with Starlink Aviation, which is already dominating the aviation industry thanks to its ability to deliver fast, low-latency internet even over oceans and remote regions—areas where legacy geostationary satellite systems have struggled. Like Starlink, Amazon’s Leo network will rely on a constellation of LEO satellites, using inter-satellite laser links and a global network of ground stations to maintain consistent connectivity across long-haul routes.

One key technical difference between Amazon’s system and Starlink’s in-flight connectivity solutions comes down to spectrum. The Leo aviation antenna operates in the Ka-band, while SpaceX’s primarily uses Ku-band frequencies. Ka-band offers access to a wider range of spectrum, allowing for higher data throughput and helping enable the gigabit-class speeds Amazon is targeting. The tradeoff, however, is that higher-frequency Ka-band signals are more susceptible to atmospheric interference, particularly heavy rain, which can impact reliability in certain conditions—a challenge Starlink’s lower-frequency Ku-band is better able to mitigate.

While the aviation hardware is now revealed, Amazon’s satellite network is still in its early stages. As of early 2026, Amazon has deployed just over 200 low Earth orbit satellites as part of its LEO constellation, with multiple launches already completed and dozens more planned in the months ahead. The company ultimately has approval for a network of more than 3,200 satellites, meaning the current deployment represents only a small fraction of its intended global coverage.

For comparison, SpaceX already operates over ten thousand satellites in orbit, giving it a significant head start.

If Amazon is able to catch up to Starlink, Elon Musk’s aerospace company may have an insurmountable lead by that point. Starlink has already secured most high-profile airline partners, including carriers like Qatar Airways, United Airlines and International Airlines Group (IAG), while Amazon is still in the earlier stages of deployment. That said, the company has confirmed initial agreements with Delta Air Lines and JetBlue, signaling early interest from some North American carriers.

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