Amazon just signaled just how serious it is about building its own transportation and delivery network. The tech giant announced the purchase of eleven Boeing 767-300 jets, from Delta and WestJet, marking the first time Amazon has bought, rather than leased, planes for its cargo fleet.
Purchasing aircraft is the “next natural step” in the company’s efforts to offer fast, free delivery, said Sarah Rhoads, vice president of Amazon Global Air, in a statement Tuesday morning. “Having a mix of both leased and owned aircraft in our growing fleet allows us to better manage our operations, which in turn helps us to keep pace in meeting our customer promises.”
The additional eleven aircraft put the company on track to have more than 85 cargo planes in its network by the end of 2022.
Amazon is buying seven used aircraft from Delta and four from Canada’s WestJet. After they’re retrofitted to carry cargo, the latter four will start flying for the company later this year. Meanwhile, the Delta jets will join Amazon Air in 2022. As with all of its existing planes, Amazon says these new planes will be operated by contractors.
Over the next few years, it’s estimated Amazon’s air fleet could grow to include more than 200 aircraft, putting it in the same size as the one operated by UPS. As Bloomberg points out, Amazon has always been quick to call out its continued reliance on companies like UPS and FedEx, even as it has added additional planes and delivery vans to its cargo operation.
