That's no different that a terrestrial network, in fact it's likely quicker as for better or for worse they're likely not using HTTP between the birds but rather a more efficient protocol.

Here I've got 18 hops from my office to HN:

    $ mtr news.ycombinator.com -rc 3
    Start: 2022-12-04T09:27:13+0200
    HOST: dotan-OptiPlex-7040         Loss%   Snt   Last   Avg  Best  Wrst StDev
      1.|-- _gateway                   0.0%     3    1.4   1.9   1.4   2.8   0.8
      2.|-- 172.19.19.254              0.0%     3    0.3   0.4   0.3   0.6   0.2
      3.|-- 62.128.42.108              0.0%     3    0.8   0.9   0.8   1.0   0.1
      4.|-- 31.154.12.149              0.0%     3    5.4   7.5   5.4  11.7   3.6
      5.|-- ???                       100.0     3    0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0
      6.|-- ???                       100.0     3    0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0
      7.|-- ???                       100.0     3    0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0
      8.|-- ???                       100.0     3    0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0
      9.|-- 82.102.131.249             0.0%     3    5.8   5.9   5.8   6.0   0.1
     10.|-- 82.102.131.251             0.0%     3   12.4  12.0  11.2  12.5   0.7
     11.|-- 82.102.131.201             0.0%     3   31.0  71.5  31.0 135.5  56.0
     12.|-- ???                       100.0     3    0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0
     13.|-- ???                       100.0     3    0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0
     14.|-- 82.102.129.226             0.0%     3   48.9  49.8  48.9  51.1   1.1
     15.|-- et-1-0-23-101.edge1.marse  0.0%     3   79.5  80.0  76.9  83.6   3.4
     16.|-- ae0.11.bar1.sandiego1.lev  0.0%     3  220.4 214.7 210.2 220.4   5.2
     17.|-- m5-hosting.bar1.sandiego1 33.3%     3  798.8 765.5 732.1 798.8  47.2
     18.|-- news.ycombinator.com       0.0%     3  233.2 228.1 220.9 233.2   6.4