Amazon Air has entered its first Asian market, announcing that it is taking to the skies in India to improve shipping speeds from its fulfillment centre to last-mile deliveries.
It becomes the third market, after the United States and Europe, for Amazon Air, which was launched in 2016 and operates an air cargo network that has grown to include over 110 aircraft across 70 destinations globally.
It will also be the first time for an e-commerce company in the country to have a dedicated air cargo network, utilising the cargo capacity of two Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by Quikjet Cargo Airlines.
Each Amazon Air aircraft is expected to ship thousands of packages every day and fly across Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai.
The new aircraft were inducted in Hyderabad by Telangana minister Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao, who leads the Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries & Commerce, and Information Technologyalongside Amazon’s senior leadership.
Speaking on the announcement, Akhil Saxena, Vice President – Customer Fulfilment (APAC, MENA & LATAM) and WW Customer Service, Amazon said, “Hyderabad has emerged as a major hub for e-commerce distribution with its strategic geographic location, improved domestic air network, and the increasing popularity of e-commerce in the country,”
With fulfilment centres across 15 states, Amazon India currently provides up to 43 million cubic feet of storage space for seller inventory, in addition to its sortation centres that cover a processing area of nearly 2.3 million square feet.
Through its last mile network, the company said in a statement, its deliveries are enabled to 100% serviceable pin codes, with customers over 97% pin codes now receiving their packages within 2 days of placing an order.
KT Rama Rao added, “We have been working towards strengthening the state’s air cargo infrastructure, and we welcome the launch of Amazon Air, which will further assist in making Hyderabad a cargo hub for the country and will create additional employment opportunities in the state.”
