First Amazon Prime airplane debuts in Seattle after secret night flight

[J]

The first freighter jet to carry the Amazon brand is primed for its public debut in Seafair’s sunny skies, after making a stealthy flight from New York to Seattle in the middle of the night.

“It’s hard for me not to be a little bit giddy, almost. This is the first time I’ve actually seen the plane in person,” Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, said at a press preview that took place behind closed hangar doors at the Boeing Co.’s Seattle Delivery Center on Thursday.


The plane, emblazoned with “Amazon” on its belly, “Prime Air” on its sides and the Amazon smile logo on its tail, will fly over Lake Washington during the Boeing Seafair Air Show at around 1:15 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Until now, the big reveal was kept so hush-hush that Seafair organizers referred to the event only as a “Special Guest Flyover.”

The Boeing 767-300 jet is part of what will eventually become a fleet of 40 planes, transporting cargo between Amazon’s distribution centers for delivery to customers. Clark said the planes will mesh with Amazon’s network of 4,000 branded truck trailers, the Uber-like Amazon Flex delivery system, and the services provided by transportation partners such as UPS and FedEx.
http://www.geekwire.com/2016/amazon-pri ... e-seafair/

[J]

Watch out UPS/Louisville here comes Covington.

Amazon will build its own $1.5 billion air cargo hub
Amazon is building one of the largest internal logistics and shipping businesses in the world, and if you needed any more evidence this was the case, the company just revealed that it’s investing $1.5 billion in a new air cargo hub, which will occupy a spot that crosses the Cincinnati and Kentucky border, and eventually result in around 2,000 total new jobs, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The new hub is designed to help provide a home for its increasingly large fleet of at least 40 cargo planes, a group of vehicles it previously revealed it was leasing under the name of Amazon Prime Air, complete with Amazon exterior paint jobs. The planes are designed to help Amazon handle its increasing transportation needs, which are growing as its share of global retail business increases, and straining the capacities and capabilities of its shipping partners, which include FedEx and UPS.

Amazon has long maintained that it’s not looking to compete with other logistics providers, but it recently became an ocean cargo shipping company, with the ability to act as a “freight forwarder,” services that FedEx and UPS also offer. Amazon still hopes to eventually offer services both to itself and to outside companies and retailers, which would put it in direct competition with its current partners, according to the WSJ’s sources.

Until that happens, if it ever happens, however, there’s likely plenty of business to go around for everyone. Amazon typically has some trouble keeping up with demand during busy periods like the holidays, even with all the shipping partners it currently enjoys, and so owning its own piece of the pie to try to build up its maximum capacity is a worthwhile goal even without considering building a functional standalone shipping business in the future, too.

https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/01/amazo ... cargo-hub/

[flyboy2548m]

Heck, for a bil and a half they can buy most of Northern Kentucky, let alone build a hub at CVG.

[J]

Amazon Prime Air Expanding - convert 767's currently operated by AA.


ATSG swoops for 20 B767 passenger aircraft as feedstock for freighter conversion

US-based freighter operator Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) is to acquire 20 Boeing 767-300 extended-range passenger aircraft from lessor Jetran as potential feedstock for freighter conversion over the next three years.

ATSG, which operates B767Fs for Amazon Air, currently expects to begin freighter modification of six of the twenty 767-300s during 2019, up to nine during 2020, and no fewer than five in 2021.

ATSG said that it may choose to refurbish and lease one or more of them internally as passenger aircraft to its recently acquired subsidiary, Omni Air International, for charter or ACMI service with Omni Air’s government and commercial customers.

The Jetran aircraft are currently operated by American Airlines. They were manufactured between 1993 and 2003, and are powered by General Electric CF6-series engines.

Added ATSG: “On that anticipated schedule, and apart from any other transactions involving 767-300s, ATSG projects that it would own at least fifty-nine 767-300 freighter aircraft by the end of 2021, compared with thirty-nine at the end of 2018.”

ATSG also owns six other passenger 767-300s, all currently operated by Omni Air International, and owns other Boeing 737, B757, B767 and B777 aircraft.

Joe Hete, president and chief executive of ATSG, said: “As the world’s leading source of mid-sized converted 767 freighters, we have the appetite and financial strength to respond when a large fleet of commonly configured, high quality feedstock aircraft becomes available.

“Our discussions with a number of customers about leasing multiple 767-300s from us for deployment in new and expanding networks give us confidence that the market will remain strong.

"Contracting to acquire these aircraft at good value, along with our unique abilities to convert, lease, operate and maintain them for our customers, is proof of our commitment to serve that market growth for several more years to come.”

Cargo Aircraft Management, ATSG’s aircraft leasing subsidiary, will purchase, manage freighter conversion, and lease the 20 aircraft.

https://www.aircargonews.net/news/airli ... rsion.html

[3WE]

Lets see, Wal mart kills the small town shop, Amazon kills wal mart, aircraft are purchased and leased and money is to be made and costs considered and UPS has competition and low cost labor can be had in Kaintuk...

I guess WE should consider more regulations to prevent gross crimes against humanity and aviation incidents, correct?

[Not_Karl]

Lets see, Wal mart kills the small town shop, Amazon kills wal mart, aircraft kill people.

I guess WE should ban all aeroplanies.

Fixed

[J]

Amazon / Prime Aire is purchasing and converting 7 767's from Delta and 4 from WestJet.
Excerpt:

• Amazon is buying 11 used Boeing 767-300 jets as it pushes for faster delivery amid a pandemic-fueled surge in online orders.

• Amazon has been steadily building up its air cargo fleet through leasing agreements but Tuesday’s announcement marks its first-ever outright aircraft purchase.

The four WestJet planes are being converted to cargo jets and will join the Amazon Air fleet this year, while the seven Delta planes will be added in 2022 after their conversion, Amazon said.

The company has been steadily building up the fleet of planes dedicated to its Amazon Air cargo operations through leasing agreements but Tuesday’s announcement marks its first-ever outright aircraft purchase, Amazon said.

“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 with meeting our customer promises,” Sarah Rhoads, vice president of Amazon Global Air, said in a statement.

Amazon said the Amazon Air fleet will have more than 85 planes, both leased and owned, by the end of 2022. Amazon launched its air fleet in 2016, prompting speculation that it would reduce its reliance on UPS and FedEx. The company still relies on outside carriers for a portion of its deliveries, but it has rapidly accelerated its in-house logistics operations, particularly during the pandemic. Amazon Air’s 767 fleet is operated by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings and Air Transport Services Group, but an Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment on which airlines would operate the newly purchased planes.


https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/05/amazon- ... -drop.html

[flyboy2548m]

Amazon / Prime Aire is purchasing and converting 7 767's from Delta and 4 from WestJet.
Excerpt:

• Amazon is buying 11 used Boeing 767-300 jets as it pushes for faster delivery amid a pandemic-fueled surge in online orders.

• Amazon has been steadily building up its air cargo fleet through leasing agreements but Tuesday’s announcement marks its first-ever outright aircraft purchase.

The four WestJet planes are being converted to cargo jets and will join the Amazon Air fleet this year, while the seven Delta planes will be added in 2022 after their conversion, Amazon said.

The company has been steadily building up the fleet of planes dedicated to its Amazon Air cargo operations through leasing agreements but Tuesday’s announcement marks its first-ever outright aircraft purchase, Amazon said.

“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 with meeting our customer promises,” Sarah Rhoads, vice president of Amazon Global Air, said in a statement.

Amazon said the Amazon Air fleet will have more than 85 planes, both leased and owned, by the end of 2022. Amazon launched its air fleet in 2016, prompting speculation that it would reduce its reliance on UPS and FedEx. The company still relies on outside carriers for a portion of its deliveries, but it has rapidly accelerated its in-house logistics operations, particularly during the pandemic. Amazon Air’s 767 fleet is operated by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings and Air Transport Services Group, but an Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment on which airlines would operate the newly purchased planes.


https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/05/amazon- ... -drop.html

85 airplanes worth of whipsawing. I like it.

[monchavo]

Amazon / Prime Aire is purchasing and converting 7 767's from Delta and 4 from WestJet.

85 airplanes worth of whipsawing. I like it.

What does "whipsawing" mean in this context? (serious question)

[flyboy2548m]

What does "whipsawing" mean in this context? (serious question)

Since Amazon (likely) won't have it's own AOC, they'll put flying these airplanes out for bid between Atlas, ASIG, and whoever else wants to bid on it. In other words, whichever is the biggest whore will get the bid. So, pilots groups will be competing against each other. That's whipsawing.

[Gabriel]

What does "whipsawing" mean in this context? (serious question)

Since Amazon (likely) won't have it's own AOC, they'll put flying these airplanes out for bid between Atlas, ASIG, and whoever else wants to bid on it. In other words, whichever is the biggest whore will get the bid. So, pilots groups will be competing against each other. That's whipsawing.

I suspect that Amazon will have its own AOC... eventually.

By the way, I didn't know of the model of companies buying their own planes for their own business use but then having them operated for them by another company. Whipsawing, I learned something new.

[Gabriel]

I just had a thought.... Do you need an AOC if you are going to use the planes exclusively for your own business and not selling the service?
Wouldn't that fall under the "business aviation" category rather than commercial aviation?

[flyboy2548m]

I just had a thought.... Do you need an AOC if you are going to use the planes exclusively for your own business and not selling the service?

Yes. In this case you need at least a Part 125 due to the size of aircraft being used. With 85 airplanes Part 121 will probably be easier. Especially since Bezos can probably buy somebody else's 121 AOC.

[Gabriel]

I just had a thought.... Do you need an AOC if you are going to use the planes exclusively for your own business and not selling the service?

Yes. In this case you need at least a Part 125 due to the size of aircraft being used. With 85 airplanes Part 121 will probably be easier. Especially since Bezos can probably buy somebody else's 121 AOC.

Thank you. The different operations standards is a part of the FAR that I never had clear (and I still don't).

[flyboy2548m]

I just had a thought.... Do you need an AOC if you are going to use the planes exclusively for your own business and not selling the service?

Yes. In this case you need at least a Part 125 due to the size of aircraft being used. With 85 airplanes Part 121 will probably be easier. Especially since Bezos can probably buy somebody else's 121 AOC.

Thank you. The different operations standards is a part of the FAR that I never had clear (and I still don't).

Proud of you for not just disagreeing for the sheer hell of it like you usually do. Musta damn near killed you.

You're welcome.