As an avid Amazon customer, you‘ve probably noticed those Amazon-branded cargo planes increasingly filling the skies. In just the past few years, Amazon has rapidly built their own airline to enable faster package delivery.
So how big is Amazon‘s airline fleet now in late 2023? Brace yourself – Amazon currently operates 73 aircraft and has plans to expand to over 85 planes soon.
For a company that started by selling books online, building an airline to rival the biggest cargo carriers is a pretty astounding feat.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll give you an inside look at how Amazon has quietly grown an airline fleet that most real-world airlines would envy. We‘ll cover everything from their current fleet size, plane models, airport networks, and future expansion plans. Let‘s dive in!
A Look Back at Amazon‘s Airline Journey
It all started in 2015 when Amazon realized that relying solely on commercial cargo planes, trucks and vans to ship packages wasn‘t efficient enough for fast Prime delivery.
So they began leasing a handful of Boeing 767 freighter aircraft to connect their warehouse hubs and supplement their transportation capacity.
In just 6 years, those first 5 leased planes have grown into a fleet of over 70 aircraft operating under the name Amazon Air. They now move hundreds of thousands of Prime packages every day!
To understand the sheer scale and growth of Amazon‘s airline capabilities, let‘s compare some stats:
| Year | Number of Planes | Destinations |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 planes | 5 airports |
| 2019 | 50 planes | 25 airports |
| 2023 | 73 planes | Over 35 airports |
As you can see, Amazon Air has expanded over 14x in size since their first leased planes took flight in 2016. That‘s incredible growth for an airline of any size, let alone one started from scratch just a few years ago.
And they‘re showing no signs of slowing down, with plans to grow the fleet to 200+ aircraft by 2028 according to Morgan Stanley analysts.
So next, let‘s take a closer look at what‘s currently in Amazon‘s airline fleet today…
Amazon‘s Fleet in 2024: 73 Planes and Counting
As of October 2023, the Amazon Air fleet consists of the following aircraft:
- 22 Boeing 737-800 cargo jets
- 51 Boeing 767-300 cargo freighters
That‘s a total of 73 aircraft flying the friendly skies in Amazon livery. To put that into perspective, an airline of that size would be ranked the 39th largest airline globally based on fleet size.
For example, it‘s comparable in size to Hawaiian Airlines and larger than several regional airlines like Alaska Air, Allegiant or Frontier.
Not bad for an airline that didn‘t even exist 10 years ago! Now let‘s break down the key details on the two plane models that make up their fleet:
Boeing 737-800
This is a very common narrow-body aircraft used by airlines worldwide. But Amazon‘s planes are the Boeing 737-800BCF model, the converted freighter version designed for cargo.
Here are some key specs on these workhorses of the Amazon fleet:
- Payload: up to 52,800 lbs
- Range: Approximately 3,115 nautical miles
- Max speed: 530 mph
- Number in fleet: 22 planes (as of Oct 2023)
With significant cargo capacity and ability to land at nearly any airport, the 737-800BCFs are core to Amazon‘s middle-mile logistics in North America.
Amazon leases these aircraft through partners like Sun Country Airlines and Southern Air who operate the planes on Amazon‘s behalf.
Boeing 767-300
For longer hauls, Amazon utilizes the larger wide-body Boeing 767-300 freighter. These long-range jets are also converted from passenger models and optimized for cargo delivery.
Here are the key vitals on Amazon‘s 767-300 planes:
- Payload: up to 121,000 lbs
- Range: 6,190 nautical miles
- Max speed: 539 mph
- Number in fleet: 51 planes (as of Oct 2023)
With substantially more cargo space and intercontinental range, the 767-300s connect Amazon‘s facilities between continents. You‘ll see these larger jets flying between major airport hubs in North America and Europe.
Expanding The Fleet – 11 More 767s On The Way
In early 2023, Amazon purchased 11 used Boeing 767-300 passenger jets from Delta Air Lines and Canadian airline WestJet.
These planes are currently being converted by Boeing into cargo-optimized 767-300BCFs to join the Amazon fleet starting in 2024.
This will grow Amazon‘s total airline fleet to at least 84 aircraft by next year. And likely more to come!
Purchasing used aircraft is an affordable way for Amazon to continue expanding. They save tens of millions versus buying brand new planes.
Experts estimate each converted Boeing 767 adds about $70-90 million to Amazon‘s aircraft assets. That‘s a fraction of the $200+ million price tag for new wide-body freighters.
By leveraging used passenger airliners nearing retirement age from other airlines, Amazon strategically acquires planes at a discount. They give these jets a new lease on life moving packages for Prime members.
Where Does Amazon Air Fly To?
Amazon optimizes their airline network for fast package delivery to and from fulfillment and sortation centers. Their planes fly to over 35 major airports in the United States and across Europe.
Here are some of the key airports with an Amazon Air presence:
Domestic Hubs:
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Miami (MIA)
- New York JFK
- Dallas Fort Worth (DFW)
- Chicago O‘Hare (ORD)
- Cincinnati (CVG)
- Baltimore (BWI)
- Houston (IAH)
- Seattle (SEA)
International Hubs:
- London Heathrow (LHR)
- Frankfurt (FRA)
- Madrid Barajas (MAD)
- Warsaw Chopin (WAW)
- Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
In addition to major hubs, Amazon Air also flies into smaller regional airports near fulfillment centers. For example, airports in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Wilmington, Ohio and Lakeland, Florida. This allows them to transfer inventory quickly over short distances.
How Many Flights Does Amazon Air Operate?
As of late 2023, Amazon Air handles approximately 140 flights per day on average. This includes a mix of the short-haul 737s and long-range 767s serving North American and European destinations.
During the busy holiday peak season, you can expect Amazon‘s daily flights to ramp up significantly to meet demand.
To compare, FedEx and UPS operate over 650 and 500 daily flights respectively on much larger fleets exceeding 300 aircraft.
So Amazon Air still has plenty of room for growth to catch up with the "Big 2" transport giants. Analysts predict their flight schedule expanding to 200+ per day over the next 5 years.
Could Amazon Eventually Acquire An Airline?
With aviation demand depressed due to COVID-19, some industry analysts speculate Amazon may try to acquire an entire airline while valuations are low.
Rather than incrementally growing their fleet plane-by-plane, Amazon could fast track expansion by absorbing part or all of a smaller airline.
Potential takeover targets might include Hawaiian Airlines (currently #39 in size), Frontier, Spirit or even ailing Norwegian Air. There‘s also speculation that Alaska Air or JetBlue might eventually consider an acquisition offer.
For now, this is purely speculation without solid evidence of Amazon‘s intent to buy an existing airline. But the possibility can‘t be ruled out as Amazon aims to rapidly grow their air cargo capabilities.
How Amazon‘s Plane Fleet Impacts Customers
As an everyday Amazon customer, you may be wondering – why should I care how many planes Amazon operates?
Here are some of the key benefits Amazon‘s airline provides you:
- Faster delivery – Packages move closer to final destination before hitting the road
- More selection – Inventory stored regionally vs one central warehouse
- Lower costs – Cheaper and more eco-friendly to fly packages long distances
- Reliability – Less risk of weather/delays from single transportation mode
In my experience as a Prime member, I‘ve definitely noticed Amazon deliveries arriving faster since they launched their air service.
Products are coming from closer regional facilities vs one distant warehouse. And there‘s been less variation in delivery speeds – packages consistently show up in two days as promised.
So in summary, Amazon‘s planes are a big reason you and I can conveniently order just about anything and have it on our doorstep 48 hours later!
The Future of Amazon Air
It‘s incredible to think Amazon has created an airline similar in size to major US airlines in just a matter of years. And they have much bigger ambitions for the future.
Amazon hopes to expand their airline fleet to 200 planes by 2028. That would give them broader reach than Southwest Airlines!
They also aim to build additional cargo facilities at airports so they can handle more volume without congesting passenger terminals.
Clearly Amazon intends to be a major force in air cargo for decades to come. By reducing their reliance on partners like UPS and FedEx, they can better control the delivery process from start to finish.
As consumer demand grows for ever-faster delivery, you can count on Amazon Air expanding right along with it. Those blue-tailed planes connecting Prime packages will soon be coming to an airport near you!
So next time you spot an Amazon 737 or 767 roaring overhead, know it‘s helping get someone‘s order delivered right on time.
