Amazon revealed its 1st-ever branded cargo plane during the Seafair Air Show in Seattle.
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The company has already begun to lease 10 planes in an attempt to deliver products faster, but the One is the first plane branded with the Amazon colours.
CEO Jeff Bezos has been making moves to wean Amazon off its reliance on carriers such as FedEx and UPS, after technical problems in 2013 led to the company paying out to customers who did not receive gifts by Christmas. The plane will buzz over Seattle’s Lake Washington just before the Navy’s Blue Angels take to the skies, a company official said.
While Amazon’s drone program remains in testing, the e-commerce giant is turning to cargo planes to keep up with package delivery demands. The Boeing 767-300, seen in this video being painted with the Amazon logos, is one of 40 airplanes that the company has agreed to lease through air cargo partners Atlas Air and Air Transport Services Group and will be rolling out over the next couple of years.
Among other things, these efforts include the addition of 4,000 trailers to its fleet of delivery trucks; the launch of Flex, a mobile app to let vetted freelance drivers start using their own vehicles to make Amazon.com deliveries; and the use of robotics and other technology to speed packing and sorting at its facilities. “Because of our growth and the sheer amount of packages, we are supplementing our transportation needs”, Clark said.
“For sellers, Fulfillment by Amazon is now an even more powerful opportunity to rapidly grow their business and at the same time, provide customers across India with vast selection and unlimited fast free Prime delivery”, Amit Agarwal, vice president and country head, Amazon India said.
Amazon recently reported a second-quarter profit of $857 million on $30 billion in revenue.
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Amazon has not been shy about competing in businesses areas far-flung from its e-commerce roots.
