Amazon takes to the skies to support one-day delivery

9/12/2019
Amazon is opening a new regional air hub in October.

Amazon’s latest regional air hub is coming to the Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Texas. This will be the first build-to-suit airport project of its kind in the e-tail giant’s Amazon Air network and was designed to support Amazon Air’s larger-scale regional needs, including sortation capability and infrastructure to handle multiple flights daily.

The new hub will include daily flights and allow Amazon to further serve its customer base in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Amazon expects this facility to create 300 new full-time jobs over time as operations reach full capacity.

Amazon is adding to its capacity for its Prime Air aerial delivery service as it prepares to make good on a promise to shift the standard shipping time for free Amazon Prime deliveries from two days to one day. In May 2019, Amazon said a new air hub will open in Hebron, Kentucky at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 2021. During its April 2019 earnings call, Amazon announced it will spend $800 million to support faster free Prime shipping. The e-tailer did not offer a specific timeline.

Likely adding to the urgency of Amazon’s efforts to boost its Prime shipping infrastructure is Walmart’s recent pilot of free next-day delivery for purchases of $35 or more across a range of general merchandise from Walmart.com. Walmart plans to reach approximately 75% of the U.S. population with this free shipping offer by the end of the year.

“We are excited to start flying to and from our new facility at the Fort Worth Alliance Airport very soon – this facility will allow us to offer even more selection and faster delivery to our customers,” said Sarah Rhoads, VP of Amazon Global Air. “This is our latest investment in Texas and we look forward to hiring top talent from the local community.”
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