SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Amazon on Tuesday announced its first-ever purchase of 11 Boeing 767-300 aircraft, expanding its fleet to serve customers.
The purchases include seven aircraft from Delta and four aircraft from WestJet, the announcement said.
"Our goal is to continue delivering for customers across the U.S. in the way that they expect from Amazon, and purchasing our own aircraft is a natural next step toward that goal," said Sarah Rhoads, vice president of Amazon Global Air.
"Having a mix of both leased and owned aircraft in our growing fleet allows us to better manage our operations, which in turn helps us to keep pace in meeting our customer promises," she added.
Amazon Air, launched in 2016, plays a central role in delivering for customers by transporting items across longer distances in shorter timeframes, according to the company.
The four aircraft purchased from WestJet in March 2020 are currently undergoing passenger to cargo conversion and will join the Amazon Air fleet this year, and the seven aircraft from Delta will enter Amazon's air cargo network in 2022, the company said, adding that it will continue to rely on third-party carriers to operate these new aircraft. Enditem
