Amazon is set to take flight as it gears up to launch its first-ever branded cargo aircraft dubbed the Amazon One. Thanks to its own fleet of cargo planes, Amazon will be able to offer its customers speedy delivery through Prime Air.
On Friday, Aug. 5, the company showcased its branded cargo plane at the Seafair Air Show in Seattle. The Amazon One - a Boeing 767-300 - is operated by Atlas Air, which is the company's air cargo provider.
"I'm very excited to introduce Amazon One, a Boeing 767-300 that is our first ever Amazon branded plane which will serve customers by adding capacity to support one and two day package delivery in the US. Adding capacity for Prime members by developing a dedicated air cargo network ensures there is enough available capacity to provide customers with great selection, low prices and incredible shipping speeds for years to come," noted Dave Clark, Amazon's SVP of worldwide operations.
Back in March this year, we reported that the Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) agreed to lease 20 Boeing 767s to Amazon. The ATSG was optimistic that the e-commerce company would be able to use it for delivering its products more efficiently.
The Amazon One is the first of the 40 jetliners that will make up Amazon's transportation network as the company looks to enhance its delivery process. Amazon will be leasing the aircrafts from Atlas Air and ATSG.
Currently, 11 of the leased aircrafts are in operation but the Amazon One is the first one that has been painted to reflect the brand.
With Amazon shipping a massive number of packages as its Prime service continues to evolve and grow, the notion behind the Prime Air brand is to offer the e-retailer ample flexibility and shipping capacity to tackle peak phases.
As Clark revealed, with its own fleet of cargo planes Amazon would have the option of establishing connections between two points in a tailored manner, keeping the company's needs on top. Amazon would be able to decide the timing of when it wishes to ship the packages on a particular route instead of being dependent on third-party networks.
Moreover, the Prime Air brand cargo planes can be deployed by the e-retailer not only to send shipments to consumers, but also to transfer goods from one facility to another.
"We add capacity, we add flexibility and it gives us cost-control capability as well," noted Clark.
For those wondering what the cargo plane looks like post a lick of paint, it is primarily white with Prime Air written on either side of the aircraft. A blue-colored swish stretches to the fuselage and merges with a gray-colored tail that has the Amazon smile logo on.
Amazon's logo is also written at the bottom of the plane so that those watching the aircraft from below can espy the same!
