Amazon begins air freight services in India, first outside US and Europe
1 min read . Updated: 23 Jan 2023, 12:51 PM IST
PremiumAmazon will use cargo capacity in a Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by partner Quikjet Cargo Airlines Pvt to begin shipments in Hyderabad, Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai,
Amazon.com Inc. is beginning air freight services in India, expanding in Asia even as global online sales growth stalls following a pandemic-era boom.
The e-commerce retail giant will use cargo capacity in a Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by partner Quikjet Cargo Airlines Pvt to begin shipments in Hyderabad, Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai, said Akhil Saxena, a vice president of customer fulfillment.
India is the third market, after the United States and Europe, where the company has launched Amazon Air. The Seattle-headquartered firm, which started the service in 2016 in the U.S., operates a network of over 110 jets that fly to over 70 locations worldwide
Amazon is trying to sell unused space in its cargo jets, as it adjusts to a post-pandemic slowdown that has forced it to cut 12,000 employees, or about 6% of its workforce.
Amazon has tied up with Quikjet Cargo Airline Private Ltd, a Bengaluru-based freight carrier, which will use a lone Boeing 737-800 jet to fly shipments, the company said in a statement.
Quikjet will transport Amazon customer shipments to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai, Amazon said in a press release.
Amazon began its air cargo service in 2016, in what was soon seen as a challenge to United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. Amazon Air operates out of small regional airports close to its warehouses, helping the company meet orders for one- and two-day delivery.
*With agency inputs