Amazon will expand its aircraft fleet by leasing 12 Boeing 767-300 converted freighters from Air Transport Services Group (ATSG).
One aircraft has already joined the fleet and the other 11 will be delivered in 2021, pushing Amazon’s fleet to over 80 aircraft.
The online retail giant’s expansion comes as deliveries boom due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amazon has been transporting PPE for Amazon associates, frontline health workers and relief organizations, and maintaining capacity for regular operations.
Sarah Rhoads, vice president of Amazon Global Air, said, “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 has expanded its Gateway operations, opening up at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, and Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
A regional hub will open at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Florida this summer. Next year, a regional hub will open at San Bernardino International Airport in California and the central Amazon Air Hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport will be opened.
A recent report predicted that Amazon could have 200 aircraft by 2028, click here to read more.