A JetBlue flight headed from Mexico to Newark, New Jersey, made an emergency landing in Florida on Thursday after a sudden drop in altitude, hospitalizing several passengers, officials said, the AP reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is investigating the incident, said the Airbus A320 was diverted to Tampa International Airport around 2 p.m.
The airline has not yet provided details on the number of injured people or the severity of their injuries.
Air traffic control audio from LiveATC.net picked up a radio transmission saying, “We have at least three people injured. It looks like a possible laceration to the head.”
According to JetBlue’s website, the plane has 162 seats.
What did JetBlue say?
Medical officials evaluated passengers and crew members at the airport before some were taken to hospitals, according to JetBlue.
“Our team has taken the aircraft out of service for inspection and we will conduct a full investigation to determine the cause. The safety of our customers and crew members is always our first priority and we will work to support those involved,” the AP quoted the airline as saying.
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JetBlue deals with Amazon’s Kuiper project for in-flight Wi-Fi
Meanwhile, JetBlue announced in September that it will work with Amazon subsidiary Project Kuiper, a low-orbit satellite broadband network, to improve its in-flight Wi-Fi starting in 2027, Reuters reports.
As U.S. airlines compete to attract customers, many are increasing investments in in-flight connectivity. JetBlue, which will be Kuiper’s first airline partner, hopes the deal will help it maintain a competitive edge.
JetBlue president Marty St George said, “We have many of our competitors trying to jump on the bandwagon.” He added that Amazon has developed technology that will “absolutely keep us ahead”, with the new service expected to bring faster, more reliable connections and fewer interruptions.
Read also | A SkyWest Omaha–LA flight made an emergency landing after the pilots feared a breach in the cockpit
JetBlue said it remains the first and only major U.S. airline to provide free Wi-Fi throughout its fleet.
Kuiper plans to deploy more than 3,200 satellites into low Earth orbit as part of a $10 billion initiative announced in 2019 to provide global broadband services to consumers, businesses and government users.
The company launched its first production satellites in April 2025 and has since put more than 100 into orbit. Kuiper is expected to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink, a division of SpaceX that has already partnered with Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines to provide in-flight internet.
JetBlue currently relies on Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite technology for its in-flight Wi-Fi, but has mentioned that in the future it will consider a multi-orbit system that integrates both Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and GEO networks.
According to St George, LEO systems that operate at altitudes of 2,000km or less are cheaper than geosynchronous satellites, which orbit further from Earth and move in sync with the planet’s rotation.
Key things
- Medical officials evaluated passengers and crew members at the airport before some were taken to hospitals, according to JetBlue.
- The Airbus A320 was diverted to Tampa International Airport around 2 p.m.
- The airline has not yet released details on how many people were injured or how serious the injuries were.
