Amazon India launches Amazon Air; unveils first cargo fleet in India

Hyderabad: Amazon India on Monday launched Amazon Air in the country to further enhance its transport network and enable faster deliveries to customers.

Telangana Industries Minister K T Rama Rao launched the service near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here. Amazon is the first e-commerce company in India to launch a dedicated air cargo network, said a press release from the firm.

Akhil Saxena of Amazon India said two planes are being operated now.

He said each plane can carry 20,000 shipments.

"We are partnering with third party carrier...Quikjet is the company through which we have leased out the plane. They are operating the plane and maintaining it for us," he said.

Quikjet would use the aircraft to transport Amazon customer shipments to cities such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai, the release said.

"Amazon Air comes to India at an important time. Over the last few years, we have taken many positive steps to build our transportation and logistics infrastructure in the country. Our investment in Amazon Air will only further improve the delivery experience for our customers in India," Saxena said.

"Moreover, the launch will support over 1.1 million sellers in India, enabling growth for ancillary businesses such as transportation and aviation," he said.

Amazon Air was launched in 2016 in the US and operates an air cargo network that has grown to include more than 110 aircraft and more than 70 destinations worldwide, the release said.

Rama Rao affirmed the support of the State government to Amazon.

Amazon’s "love story with Hyderabad" continues to grow, he said.

"Hyderabad is home to Amazon's world's largest campus, AWS Data Centre, at an investment of 4.4 billion USD (Rs 36,600 crore), largest Fulfilment Centre in Asia. Today, Amazon Air was launched in Hyderabad, the first outside the US and Europe," he said.