Amazon is leasing 12 more cargo planes to increase its US-based fleet to more than 80 freighters, expand its air network and transport rising volumes across the country.
The e-commerce giant announced yesterday it will lease 12 Boeing 767-300 converted cargo aircraft from existing partner Air Transport Services Group (ATSG). One of the new aircraft joined Amazon’s air cargo operations in May 2020, with the remaining 11 to be delivered in 2021.
These aircraft will take the Amazon Air fleet from 70 aircraft at present to more than 80 next year. These dedicated planes (which often still carry the old Prime Air branding) are operated by several third-party airline contractors: Atlas Air and its subsidiary Southern Air, ATSG unit Air Transport International and regional airline Sun Country Airlines.
“Amazon Air is critical to ensuring fast delivery for our customers – both in the current environment we are facing, and beyond,” said Sarah Rhoads, Vice President of Amazon Global Air. “During a time when so many of our customers rely on us to get what they need without leaving their homes, expanding our dedicated air network ensures we have the capacity to deliver what our customers want: great selection, low prices and fast shipping speeds.”
Amazon Air has played a central role during the COVID-19 pandemic by transporting essential PPE supplies for Amazon associates, frontline health workers and relief organizations across the U.S., while also maintaining capacity for regular cargo operations, the company pointed out.
“We are proud to continue to evolve our partnership with Amazon to support the fast, free delivery for which they are famous,” said Rich Corrado, President and CEO of ATSG. “Our combined experience in the industry and access to a fleet of 767 cargo aircraft make us an ideal partner to support the growth of Amazon Air’s fleet.”
ATSG already leases 27 B767s to Amazon through its Cargo Aircraft Management subsidiary, which will increase to 42 by end-2021 including the 12 additional planes. The aviation group also leases B767s to UPS, DHL and other cargo airlines.
Amazon also pointed out that it continues to expand its ground operations at US airports. The company will open new Regional Air Hubs at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Florida later this summer and at San Bernardino International Airport in California next year, along with the central Amazon Air Hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) in 2021.
In addition, Amazon Air began gateway operations in May at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
A recent detailed report by DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development in Chicago predicted that the Amazon Air fleet could grow to as many as 200 planes over the next 7-8 years, with its US network transformed by the opening of the $1.5 billion CVG hub next year.
