Amazon Air Fleet Reaches 73 Planes and Keeps Growing
As an Amazon seller, I rely heavily on Amazon‘s vast fulfillment and delivery network to get products to customers quickly. A major part of this ecosystem is Amazon Air, their fleet of cargo planes. So I was curious – how many planes does Amazon have today?
After doing some research, I learned that Amazon‘s air fleet stands at 73 aircraft as of 2023. This makes them one of the largest dedicated cargo airlines worldwide. In this post, I‘ll share more details about Amazon‘s airline and why it‘s so critical for fast Prime delivery.
Steady Fleet Growth Since 2016
Amazon Air first launched in 2016 with just 20 planes in their fleet. But they have invested heavily in air transport to meet explosive package volume growth.
In only 7 years, the fleet has more than tripled in size to 73 planes. Amazon purchased used Boeing 767s and 737s and retrofitted them for cargo delivery.
The current fleet breakdown is:
- 22 Boeing 737-800s
- 51 Boeing 767-300ER wide-body jets
Additionally, Amazon recently acquired 11 used 767 passenger jets. Once converted to cargo use, these will bring their total fleet size to over 85 planes by end of 2023.
I expect this growth to continue as Amazon rapidly expands worldwide. For us sellers, this is great news – it means more capacity to ship our FBA products faster than ever.
Air Network Spans 70+ Destinations
As a seller shipping inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers (FCs), I rely on Amazon Air to transport products across the U.S. and internationally.
The Amazon Air network reaches over 70 destinations globally. This includes major Amazon FCs in:
- 45 airports across continental US
- 5 airports in Europe – London, Madrid, Frankfurt
- 6 airports in Alaska and Hawaii
- 2 airports in Puerto Rico
There are around 140 daily Amazon Air flights. During peak periods like Prime Day or holidays, they operate up to 200 flights per day!
This extensive network helps Amazon meet 2-day or 1-day Prime delivery promises. It‘s a huge advantage for sellers compared to other logistics providers.
Critical Role in FBA Logistics
As an FBA seller, I‘ve seen firsthand how Amazon Air improves inventory transportation.
Packages shipped via Amazon Air benefit from:
- Direct flights to key Amazon FC regions
- Faster transit compared to ground shipping
- Reduced loss/damage with airline handling
- Lower costs than major carriers like UPS or FedEx
Amazon can also optimize loads and capacity since they control the entire network. This results in faster inventory intake and improved ODR metrics for sellers.
During Q4 2021, Amazon Air transported over 3.5 million FBA shipments weighing 350+ million pounds! Their own planes are absolutely critical for peak delivery volumes.
Comparing Amazon Air to Other Cargo Airlines
To put Amazon Air‘s size into perspective, let‘s compare it to major global cargo airlines:
Airline | Fleet Size | Destinations |
---|---|---|
UPS Airlines | 268 planes | 220+ airports |
FedEx Express | 254 planes | 220+ airports |
Amazon Air | 73 planes | 70+ airports |
DHL Aviation | 103 planes | 120+ airports |
As you can see, UPS and FedEx still have much larger air fleets currently. But Amazon Air has rapidly grown in just 7 years since its inception.
At their current expansion pace, Amazon could realistically surpass 100 planes in the next 5 years. That would make them the 3rd largest cargo airline worldwide!
Projected Expansion in Europe and Asia
Most of Amazon‘s planes currently serve the North American market. But continued international expansion is key.
In 2021, Amazon Air launched a new European hub in Leipzig, Germany. This hub serves customers in Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, France. Many sellers also use it to distribute products across Europe.
I expect Amazon‘s air network to continue growing in Europe and also expand to Asia. They already have plans for new air hubs in India and other Asian regions.
Opening more international FC hubs will let Amazon meet growing Prime demand worldwide. Sellers can leverage this to boost international sales.
Final Thoughts
It‘s incredible to see how rapidly Amazon Air has grown since its 2016 launch. Having their own air fleet is a strategic advantage that supports one-day and same-day Prime delivery at low cost.
As Amazon sellers, we directly benefit from the expanded network. Amazon Air transport enables us to reach more customers faster than ever before.
I‘m excited to see Amazon Air grow to 100+ planes in the coming years. More destinations, daily flights and cargo capacity will open up possibilities for FBA sellers worldwide. We can leverage their massive investment in air logistics to keep scaling our e-commerce business.