Category Archives: Amazon Air

Amazon Air begins daily cargo service at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport

Amazon Air (Prime Air) on November 17 launched daily cargo service today at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT). The inaugural flight from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) arrived early Thursday morning.

Amazon Air will begin with one daily Boeing 767-300 flight.

The 65,000-square-foot multitenant cargo building was built through a partnership with the airport and real estate investment company Realterm. The new facility offers three widebody aircraft parking positions managed by the airport, with the option to expand to a fourth.

This is Amazon Air’s first expansion into New Hampshire, and Amazon is the first tenant to operate from the new facility.

Flights will be operated by cargo airline Atlas Air, with ground handling by Trego-Dugan Aviation and aircraft maintenance by Keenan Technical Industries.

Top Copyright Photo: Prime Air (Atlas Air) Boeing 767-36N ER (F) N1013A (msn 30110) RIV (Michael B. Ing). Image: 959398.

Amazon Air-Atlas Air airvcraft photo gallery:

Hawaiian to operate Airbus A330-300 freighters for Amazon

Hawaiian Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, Inc., today announced an agreement with Amazon.com, Inc. and its subsidiaries to operate and maintain an initial fleet of 10 Airbus A330-300 freighters starting in the fall of 2023.

Hawaiian will maintain and fly Amazon’s A330s under Hawaiian’s FAA air carrier certificate to move cargo between airports near the online retailer’s operations facilities. The initial 10 aircraft will enter into service in 2023 and 2024. The agreement also contemplates the ability to expand the fleet depending on Amazon’s future business needs.

In preparation for service for Amazon, Hawaiian intends to establish a pilot base on the continental U.S., grow existing maintenance bases, and expand the hiring of pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, supply chain employees and others who will help support this new cargo operation.

In connection with the commercial agreement, the Company issued Amazon warrants to acquire up to 15 percent (post-issuance) of its common shares. The warrants are exercisable over the next 9 years.

Hawaiian – which in 1942 became the first commercial airline to transport scheduled U.S. air cargo with the nation’s first cargo certificate – today carries freight on passenger aircraft across its network of flights within Hawai’i and between the islands and North America, Asia and Oceania.

Hawaiian Airlines aircraft slide show:

Amazon Air launches a new cargo hub in Northern Kentucky (CVG)

Amazon on August 11 announced the beginning of Amazon Air Hub operations at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).

After more than four years of planning and construction, the Amazon Air Hub will serve as the central hub for Amazon Air’s U.S. cargo network, facilitating the rapid transport of customer packages across the country. This $1.5 billion investment in Northern Kentucky will eventually create thousands of jobs for people from various backgrounds, including load planning, management of package sortation, and robotics technology.

The 800,000-square-foot sortation building sits on an over 600-acre campus that features seven buildings, an expansive new ramp for aircraft parking, and a multi-story vehicle parking structure. The sortation facility is equipped with the innovative use of robotics technology that helps move and sort packages—including robotic arms and mobile drive units that transport packages across the building—miles of interlinked conveyors, and ergonomic workstations that support a comfortable work environment for employees. The building will also feature a solar rooftop scheduled for installation over the next year, and all energy generated from the panels will feed directly into the electrical grid of the local community.

Amazon Air continues to expand globally to meet the needs of its growing customer base while investing in jobs and sustainable solutions to power its network. Amazon Air has expanded its presence in the U.S. to more than 40 locations and launched its European air hub in 2020 at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport. Amazon Air has also purchased six million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel and invested in leading-edge electric ground service equipment.

Amazon acquires 11 additional Boeing 767-300F freighters

Amazon has announced its first-ever purchase of eleven Boeing 767-300 aircraft, expanding its fleet to continue to serve customers. The purchases include seven aircraft from Delta and four aircraft from WestJet, which will join the network by 2022. Amazon Air’s fleet expansion comes at a time when customers are relying on fast, free shipping more than ever.

Amazon Air plays a central role in delivering for customers by transporting items across longer distances in shorter timeframes. The four aircraft purchased from WestJet in March are currently undergoing passenger to cargo conversion and will join Amazon Air’s network in 2021, and the seven aircraft from Delta will enter Amazon’s air cargo network in 2022. These fleet additions will ensure added capacity in Amazon Air’s network for years to come. The company will continue to rely on third-party carriers to operate these new aircraft.

Amazon Air continues to expand globally to meet the needs of its growing customer base, while investing in jobs and sustainable solutions to power its network.

Last year, Amazon launched its first-ever air hub at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany and new regional air operations at Lakeland Linder International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Richmond International Airport, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, Kahului Airport, Kona International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and Louis Armstrong International Airport. This summer, Amazon Air announced its purchase of six million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel and has already invested in leading-edge electric ground service equipment and solar rooftop panels planned at some facilities. Since Amazon Air’s launch in 2016, Amazon has invested hundreds of millions of dollars and created thousands of new jobs at Amazon Air locations across the U.S.

Amazon Air opens a new regional air hub at Lakeland, Florida

Amazon Air opened its new Lakeland regional hub in Florida on July 23. The inaugural flight arrived from Sacramento, CA.

Previously in June 2020 the company announced the lease of 12 additional Boeing 767-300 converted cargo aircraft from Air Transport Services Group (ATSG). These aircraft will join Amazon’s existing fleet of 70 aircraft to bring its total network to over 80 aircraft. One of the new aircraft joined Amazon’s air cargo operations in May 2020, with the remaining 11 to be delivered in 2021.

Amazon Air’s fleet expansion comes at a time when people in communities across the country continue to adjust to this unprecedented time, with many relying on having the items they need delivered directly to their doorstep. 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., all while maintaining capacity for regular cargo operations to ensure customers continue to receive the items they need. Now, with expanded cargo capacity to come, Amazon will continue to meet evolving demand and a growing customer base.

Amazon continues to expand on-the-ground operations in addition to aircraft. Amazon will open new Regional Air Hubs at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Florida and at San Bernardino International Airport next year, along with the central AmazonAir Hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 2021. In May, Amazon Air began Gateway operations at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since Amazon Air’s launch in 2016, Amazon has invested hundreds of millions of dollars and created thousands of new jobs at Amazon Air locations across the U.S.

According to Amazon:

What are Gateway Facilities? These are Air Facilities specifically located to help deliver packages to our Prime customers. The Gateways have dedicated parking spots at an airport in order to facilitate below-wing operations. This includes the offloading of our packages onto the ramp in order to continue to our final mile delivery. Amazon Air provides gateway operations at over 20 airports, making two-day shipping possible almost anywhere in the U.S. Our Gateway Operations team is one of our most developing and growing teams within the space.

Hubs according to Wikipedia:

ATSG to lease 12 additional Boeing 767-300Fs to Amazon

Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (ATSG), the leading provider of medium wide-body aircraft leasing, air transportation and related services, has announced an agreement to lease twelve additional Boeing 767-300 converted freighter aircraft to Amazon.com Services LLC.

One of the twelve aircraft was delivered on May 29, 2020 and the remaining eleven will be delivered in 2021. All twelve will be leased to Amazon for ten years, with options for Amazon to extend the leases for three additional years.

Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM), ATSG’s aircraft leasing subsidiary, currently leases twenty-seven 767 aircraft to Amazon, including six leased during 2019. In December 2018, Amazon committed to lease those six plus an additional four 767s from CAM by the end of 2020. The agreement announced today increases the projected number of 767s CAM will have leased to Amazon to 31 by the end of 2020 and to 42 by the end of 2021.

Widebody Boeing 767 freighters have become the preeminent midsize component of regional air-cargo networks over the last ten years, and ATSG is the world’s largest lessor of that aircraft type. ATSG expects to end 2020 with seventy-eight owned 767 freighter aircraft in operation, seventy-one of which will be leased to eleven external customers.

Note: The aircraft will be operated by ATI. ATI is a subsidiary of Air Transport Services Group, Inc.

ATI was founded in 1978 as US Airways. In January 1980 the airline (renamed Interstate Airlines) became an FAR Part 121 certificated all-cargo airline flying Convair 580s. Its fleet quickly expanded to include Lockheed L-188 Electra, Boeing 727, and McDonnell-Douglas DC-8 aircraft. The airline flew freight domestically for Purolator, Emery, and ad hoc charters. In 1984 the airline began flying internationally. It moved its headquarters from Michigan to Arkansas. In 1988 the airline adopted its current name.

Through the 1990s and 2000s ATI hauled freight for the Military Airlift Command (Air Mobility Command), UPS, Emery Air Freight, Burlington Air Express, DHL, and Zantop International Airlines. The airline had over 500 employees and operated 32 DC-8s. As a long-term member of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF), ATI was among the airlines activated in 1990 to support Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield and received several commendations for its performance.

In October 1994, ICX International Cargo Express was merged with ATI. The airline was purchased by BAX Global, an operating unit of the Brink’s Company, in February 1998.

In 2006, ATI was sold to Cargo Holdings International, Inc. (CHI), which was itself acquired by ABX Holdings, Inc. the following year. In 2008, parent company ABX Holdings was renamed Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (ATSG). ATI added its first Boeing 767 in 2008.

In March 2013, Capital Cargo International Airlines was merged with ATI. During the same year, ATI replaced its DC-8 Combi aircraft with more modern Boeing 757 Combi aircraft.

Today, the airline’s fleet consists exclusively of Boeing 767 and 757 aircraft, allowing all of its flight crews to share a common type rating.

The company’s principal customers today include the US military, DHL, and Amazon Fulfillment Services, Inc. (Prime Air).

Top Copyright Photo: Prime Air (ATI) Boeing 767-319 ER (F) WL N419AZ (msn 26913) ONT (Michael B. Ing). Image: 950258.

Prime Air-ATI aircraft slide show:

Amazon is building a Prime Air facility at San Bernardino, CA

Amazon is building a air cargo logistics center, now dubbed the Amazon Air Regional Air Hub, at San Bernardino International Airport, CA, the former Norton Air Force Base according to The Sun.

Sun Country Airlines to fly 10 Boeing 737-800Fs for Amazon, adds Vancouver

Sun Country Airlines has signed a a six-year deal with Amazon to operate 10 Boeing 737-800F freighters for Amazon Prime starting next spring.

The first delivery will be in April 2020.

Previously Amazon announced a partnership with GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) to lease an additional fifteen Boeing 737-800 cargo aircraft. These fifteen aircraft will be in addition to the five Boeing 737-800s already leased from GECAS and announced earlier this year. The aircraft will fly in the United States out of the more than 20 air gateways in the Amazon Air network.

In other news, Sun Country is adding the Minneapolis/St. Paul – Vancouver route:

Sun Country route map:

Amazon partners with GECAS to lease an additional fifteen 737-800 converted freighters

Amazon continues to invest in ways to provide fast, free shipping for customers. Today, at the International Paris Air Show, the company announced a partnership with GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) to lease an additional fifteen Boeing 737-800 cargo aircraft. These fifteen aircraft will be in addition to the five Boeing 737-800’s already leased from GECAS and announced earlier this year. The aircraft will fly in the United States out of the more than 20 air gateways in the Amazon Air network.

“These new aircraft create additional capacity for Amazon Air, building on the investment in our Prime Free One-Day program,” said Dave Clark, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations at Amazon. “By 2021, Amazon Air will have a portfolio of 70 aircraft flying in our dedicated air network.”

“We’re delighted to support Amazon Air’s dedicated air network,” said Richard Greener, GECAS Cargo’s Senior Vice President. “The capability of the 737-800 freighter will further Amazon’s ability to provide reliable and regional delivery to its customers for years to come.”

Amazon Air’s operation launched in 2016 supporting package delivery to the rapidly growing number of customers who love fast delivery, affordable prices and vast selection. With advanced algorithms and software used for capacity and route planning, the Amazon Air operation can transport hundreds of thousands of packages per day. Amazon will open new air facilities this year at Fort Worth Alliance Airport, Wilmington Air Park, and Chicago Rockford International Airport. The main Air Hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport will open in 2021. Since its launch, Amazon’s air cargo operation has invested millions of dollars and created thousands of new jobs at locations across the U.S.

Amazon has launched several initiatives to ensure fast delivery speeds and supply chain capacity for its customers, including its Delivery Service Partner program, Amazon Flex, the company’s mobile application that allows individuals to sign-up, be vetted and begin delivering for Amazon, a dedicated network of over 10,000 trailers to increase trucking capacity and, now, the expanded fleet of cargo aircraft. These efforts join Amazon’s robust worldwide network of more than 185 fulfillment centers where the company uses high-end algorithms, robotics, machine learning and other technological innovations to increase delivery speeds for customers. Amazon is now bringing the same technological expertise to efforts in the transportation space to increase shipping capacity for customers.

Launching the 737-800 passenger-to-freighter conversion program in 2016 and delivering the inaugural Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) less than one year ago, GECAS has plans to convert at least 50 of this type, providing the capacity for the growing need for cargo air transport. The aircraft are equipped with a rigid cargo barrier and have 12 main deck pallet positions. The aircraft have a maximum structural payload of 23,500 kg (51,800lb) and a maximum range of over 2,100 nautical miles.

Amazon to build its Prime Air primary hub at Cincinnati

Amazon has announced it will build its primary hub on the south side of the airfield at Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG).

Amazon’s $1.4 billion investment will support a fleet of 100+ Prime Air cargo planes.

CVG, state and local officials worked with Amazon on a deal to:

• Lease more than 900 acres of CVG land for 50+ years
• Construct three million square feet of buildings
• Add more than 2,700 jobs to CVG’s existing base of 10,000

The expected activity and landed weight of Amazon’s operations will enable CVG to continue lowering its landing fees, benefiting all carriers while ensuring CVG remains a great place to do business.

The Air Hub at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport will open in 2021.

Recently, Amazon also announced a gateway operation to launch in Wilmington, Ohio, in 2019 as well as an expanded operation in Rockford, Illinois.

In addition, Amazon issued this story:

Amazon’s expansion in Kentucky

On May 14, Amazon broke ground for a new Air Hub located in Hebron, KY at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The Air Hub will open in 2021 as part of the company’s commitment to ensure fast, free shipping for customers.

Amazon first set roots in Kentucky in 1999 when it opened two fulfillment centers. Today, Kentucky is home to 14 Amazon fulfillment and sortation centers, one customer service center and two Whole Foods Market stores. Amazon has invested more than $8 billion in the state and created more than 12,500 full-time jobs.

“Our new Amazon Air hub, opening in 2021, is part of our continued investment in Prime to ensure we have the capacity required for continued outstanding service for our customers,” said Sarah Rhoads, director, Amazon Air. “We’re proud to call Kentucky home for our air hub, creating more than 2,000 jobs in this fantastic community.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DkitCY-BYs&w=560&h=315%5D

“The commonwealth of Kentucky is thrilled to celebrate this historic day, as Amazon officially breaks ground on its $1 billion-plus Amazon Air Hub,” said Kentucky Governor, Matt Bevin. “This massive project at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport will be revolutionary for the region’s workforce and for our state’s overall economy. We are grateful for Amazon’s long-term commitment to Kentucky, and we are proud to see this momentous new endeavor take flight.”

“A vibrant airport with a strong air cargo footprint improves the economic vitality of our region,” said Candace McGraw, CEO, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. “We are grateful to the Amazon team for locating its Central Air Cargo Hub at CVG. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”

“Today’s ground-breaking ceremony celebrating Amazon Air’s investment in Boone County, Kentucky, at CVG is a fantastic next step for this historic project,” said Judge/Executive Gary Moore, Boone County, Kentucky. “As one of Kentucky’s fastest-growing counties, I am enthusiastic about what this development means for Boone County—as validation of the skill level of our local workforce, advantageous geographic location, and pro-growth policies. The leaders of Boone County and our region look forward to working with Amazon for many years to come.”