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Amazon Air is Growing

In spite of the COVID-19 global pandemic, one “airline” has seen some growth.  Amazon Air reports an uptick in demand as home orders for goods has increased from its namesake e-commerce website, leading analysts to debate how fast its fleet could grow through 2028.

Amazon Air expects to have a portfolio of 70 aircraft flying in its dedicated air network by 2021.  The company, which began operating as Prime Air in 2016, has a fleet of 56 leased aircraft.  Amazon has additional contracts with GECAS to add 12 Boeing 737 aircraft to its fleet next year, which would place it close to its fleet-size goal.

All aircraft the carrier leases are operated on behalf of the company by other airlines, including Sun Country Airlines, Air Transport International, Atlas Air and its subsidiary Southern Air.

Based on its current growth, the carrier is positioned to have a fleet of 200 aircraft by 2028, according to a study published May 22 by Joseph Schwieterman and Jacob Walls, transportation analysts at the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University.

Amazon Air’s fleet is small compared with the fleets of FedEx (463 aircraft) and UPS (275 aircraft), according to DePaul.  Those cargo companies, however, operate more international routes compared with Amazon Air, which operates mainly in North America.