Amazon bolsters its fleet of cargo aircraft to further expand delivery business

Amazon has bolstered its fleet of planes to further expand its delivery business as it goes up against cargo airline giants FedEx and UPS.

The tech giant has agreed to lease a further 10 Boeing 767 aircraft to expand its Amazon Air network.

The move takes the company’s fleet to 50 and grows its partnership with airline ATSG, which operates the planes.

FedEx – the largest cargo airline in the world – has more than 650 aircraft, while UPS, the third largest, has around 250.

Last month FedEx chief executive Frederick Smith said the suggestion that Amazon Air could disrupt its business was “fantastical”.

But Amazon Air will now reach 50 aircraft less than three years after it was launched in 2016 and will open two new regional hubs in the US by 2021.

“Our customers love massive selection and fast delivery, and the Amazon air capacity we are building enables Prime delivery speeds for customers from Seattle, Washington to Miami, Florida,” senior vice president of worldwide operations Dave Clark said.

“By expanding the Amazon Air network through our partnership with ASTG we are able to ensure we have the capacity to quickly and efficiently deliver packages to customers for years to come,” he added.