Musk warns Delta of losing passengers after airline picks Amazon Leo over Starlink

Elon Musk reacted on X to comments that passengers are opting for United because it offers Starlink internet, warning that Delta's situation will deteriorate. He referenced Delta's May announcement that it would use Amazon's Leo satellite Wi-Fi, a system that operates from low Earth orbit like Starlink but with a much smaller constellation of under 400 satellites. Starlink currently powers connections on 43 carriers and boasts more than 10,000 active satellites, while Leo has only two airline partners—JetBlue and Delta—and plans to expand its fleet to over 3,000.

Delta's chief executive said the Amazon deal provides superior bandwidth at a lower price and may lead to broader collaboration with the retailer. United and American have installed Starlink on portions of their fleets, but installation is still limited due to aircraft downtime. Musk's comments follow a previous dispute with Ryanair over the same technology.