News / Amazon offers capacity on Prime Air – including charters

Shippers and forwarders looking for lift to send their cargo now have another choice: Amazon has decided to make space on its flights available to the air cargo market, including opportunities to charter its freighter capacity.

“Amazon Air Cargo is now open for business serving domestic networks across North America, AMEA and Asia. We’re ready to handle, transport and deliver your goods safely, securely and efficiently – on time, every day,” announced the e-commerce giant’s air cargo division.

The website, amazonaircargo.com, tells visitors: “You love shopping with us…and you’ll love shipping with us. Get peace of mind of on-time delivery performance, and expect your cargo to get the same level of care and urgency we give customer packages.”

Within its three regional air transport networks, Amazon offers one-day service, utilising the amalgamated fleets of its air carrier partners of more than 100 aircraft on more than 250 flights a day.

On the tech side, the service features automated booking, real-time tracking and TMS integration.

In fact, electronic communication seems to be the choice of contact. The website does not show any contact address, e-mail of phone number. Instead, there is an icon which links to a page to fill in information about your company, shipping frequency and monthly volume to start engaging with Amazon’s air cargo arm.

One carrier executive familiar with the plans told The Loadstar Amazon was looking to sell excess capacity on its flights – mostly on US domestic and international routes – “they look to fill some unused capacity,” he added.

According to some sources, Amazon is also looking to utilise general sales and service agents to market its capacity.

Stan Wraight, president and CEO of consultancy SASI International, is not surprised by the move, pointing out that all the integrated express carriers offer space on their dedicated flights as well as charters.

He reckons the biggest challenge for Amazon is likely a directional imbalance of flow. Most of its flights are likely to be full one way only, he added.

According to the website, Amazon offers not just lift on its scheduled flights. It says: “Where you need dedicated charters, ad hoc capacity or blocked space services, Amazon Air Cargo is ready to be your trusted air cargo partner.”

But one airline executive was sceptical.

“They say they’re going to do charters, but they have no dedicated aircraft to do that,” he said. “Amazon’s big focus is on-time service for its customers. They’re not going to take the risk and charter that plane and fly to Mexico.

“I think this is going to be limited to weekends.”