Amazon Air today confirmed that it has signed a firm agreement regarding the leasing of 10 Airbus A330 aircraft. The cargo outfit is looking to ramp up shipping capacity amid robust e-commerce demand.

The right equipment

The A330-300P2F freighters will be on lease from worldwide aviation finance company Altavair. Airbus has noted that the aircraft are currently being transformed from passenger units to freighters by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), which has been scaling up its initiatives recently. Just this month, it revealed a new partnership with Turkish Technic for A330 conversions.

The Amazon Air units will be operated by Hawaiian Airlines. Notably, Hawaiian is familiar with the A330, having flown the type for over a decade.

Cargo had seen a substantial boom following the rise of the pandemic. While there have been signs of a slowdown with grounded aircraft and routes trimmed across the industry, significant growth potential still remains. As such, Amazon Air is keen to meet the requirements in this next chapter.

A mix of over 80 ATR 72, Boeing 737, and 767 aircraft are in action across the Amazon Air operation. However, these are all operated by other airlines such as Silver Airways, ASL Airlines, Atlas Air, Sun Country Airlines, and Air Transport International. Now, another type is joining the fold.

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Widebody prospects

Philippe Karam, Director, Amazon Global Air Fleet & Sourcing, expressed his excitement about these Airbus planes joining his firm's fleet. He highlighted that the twinjets will be the newest and biggest units across Amazon Air's operations, enabling the shipment of more packages per trip.

Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International, also shared how delighted he is about the move. He said the following in an official statement:

"The endorsement of our freighters by Amazon speaks volumes about the market value of the A330 and the position Airbus widebodies are gaining in the cargo market. Amazon has built a reputation around delivering their goods to our doorsteps with extraordinary speed and consistency, and we’re very proud that our aircraft are trusted to become a key link in that remarkable logistics chain.”

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A transitioning market

Passenger to freighters (P2Fs) continue to see plenty of attention across the aviation spectrum. Earlier this month, we saw Ethiopian Airlines show off its first 767 freighter conversion. Additionally, India's Pradhaan Air Express began A320P2F services last week. The momentum continued with AerCap placing an order for 15 A321P2Fs.

There is no slowing down for Amazon. Net sales increased 7% to $121.2 billion in Q2 2022, compared with $113.1 billion in the same period last year. With Christmas approaching, we can expect strong sales and, in turn, plenty of deliveries heading into 2023. Amazon is keen to shake up the cargo market. Thus, the company will need a sufficient number of vessels to deliver all the goods.

What are your thoughts about Amazon Air leasing 10 Airbus A330-300P2Fs? What do you make of the overall agreement? Let us know what you think of the company and its plans in the comment section.

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  Airbus

  Stock Code:

  AIR

  Date Founded:

  1970-12-18

  CEO:

  Guillaume Faury

  Headquarters Location:

  Toulouse, France

  Key Product Lines:

  Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380

  Business Type:

  Planemaker