The private cargo airline of Amazon has increased the flight activity 31% the last year, with the rapid expansion that is happening recently in Europe. The European flights have seen noticeable growth in flight activity as the airlines are supporting the e-commerce business of the company. Amazon is continuously building out the US air network and positioned Amazon air to handle the freight of the third party.
The company has focused on the scheduling of flights in more narrow bands at the Cincinnati and Wilmington, Ohio, hubs and to reach smaller markets, they have started using turboprop aircraft. Amazon is likely to surpass 100 aircraft in its fleet by the end of the year and is also on track to have 200 planes in the system by 2028. According to the authors, there is a potential strategic shift of the company to large and intercontinental freighters, that will handle the direct import for the retail business of Amazon. The company currently is conducting more than 38 flights per day, serving eight cities in Europe with its own-registered flights and aircraft that belong to transport partners.
Amazon is likely to surpass 100 aircraft in its fleet and to have 200 planes in the system by 2028.
Painted with the familiar blue ‘smile’ logo of Amazon, the company is dependent on multiple contractors, which are registered to the company in the first place to fly its freighters. The team analysed the data of 4,500 take-offs and landing of flights through the tracking sites during a six-month period and that was when they discovered nearly similar flight logs for off-brand aircraft, which is operated on behalf of Amazon by the partner airlines of the company. Not on a working basis for full time, but these aircraft are used to accompany the already dedicated fleet of the company.
The freighter fleet of Amazon is operated by ASL Aviation Holdings which is based in Dublin. The intra-European flight activity of Amazon Air grew between August and March, from 8 to 18 flights per day, with the ASL registered aircraft operating flights up to two dozen. The increase in the speed has been possible because ASL took delivery of many aircraft Boeing which were converted into freighters.
The potential strategic shift of the company to intercontinental freighters will handle the direct import for Amazon’s retail business.
Amazon increased the flight activity by 14.3% in the last six months, which was around 187 flights a day. This data excluded the lift that was provided by air cargo partners, according to the research data. The package flights are increased by almost 31% on an annualised basis. As amazon positioned more leased aircraft as compared to the partner flights, the combined flight activity came down 13% in the US than in Europe. Of the total, most of the new flights if the company are connected to the Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and also at Wilmington hubs. The others come as regional hubs in San Bernardino, Seattle, California, and Fort Worth, Texas.
The airline currently serves 47 airports just in North America, up from 41 in August. The shuttle of Silver Airways runs between the airport of Fort Worth Alliance and Albuquerque, New Mexico; Omaha, Nebraska; Wichita, Kansas; Des Moines, Lowa.