Amazon opens new Washington air hub, distribution facility
Amazon continues to expand its Amazon Air freight capabilities.
The retail giant’s newest air cargo hub is now open at Spokane International Airport in Spokane, Wash., along with a new nearby supply fulfillment center. The new air gateway, Amazon's second in its home state, will be managed by an Amazon logistics partner, Trego-Dugan Aviation.
The new hub opening comes on the heels of the opening of a second Amazon fulfillment center in the Spokane area in September 2021. The company also plans to open a delivery station and a sortation center next to the fulfillment center in Airway Heights, Wash. in 2022.
In related news, Amazon is shopping for refurbished, long-range Boeing and Airbus cargo planes, including Boeing’s 777-300ER, reported Bloomberg. The converted Boeing 777s would let Amazon directly import products from China and other countries, the report said.
The first flight on Amazon Air’s branded 737 cargo aircraft, operated by Sun Country Airlines, is scheduled to arrive the evening of Thursday, Oct. 14, from Fairbanks International Airport in Fairbanks, Alaska. Service will continue daily.
Amazon Air has expanded its presence in the U.S. to more than 40 locations, including a recently opened central air hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The company is opening new air gateways as it has been expanding the availability of Amazon Prime delivery of some items in as little as five hours in select cities.
The e-tail titan introduced Amazon Air in 2016 to support package delivery using advanced algorithms and software used for capacity and route planning, without relying on third-party shipping providers such as UPS, FedEx, or the U.S. Postal Service.
“We are thrilled to expand Amazon Air operations in Spokane to improve capacity for shipment of customer packages in the region,” said Chris Preston, director of Amazon Air gateway operations. “Spokane International Airport, the city of Spokane, Spokane County, S3R3 Solutions, and Trego-Dugan Aviation have been excellent partners through this process and we’re looking forward to serving our customers in the Spokane region more efficiently together.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Amazon Air to Spokane and look forward to creating new jobs in the months ahead for Spokanites,” said Trego-Dugan Aviation President, Vincent Dugan. “We partner with companies who share our values, and Amazon supports our commitment to hire local people across our operations – we’re excited to continue our partnership with the company in Spokane.”
According to Amazon, it has created more than 80,000 jobs in Washington, and from 2010-2020, invested more than $129 billion in the state, including infrastructure and compensation to employees. As a result of Amazon’s investments in Washington, the company says more than $112 billion has been added into the state GDP.