Amazon unveils its first branded cargo plane as it expands delivery network





SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle-based Amazon is unveiling its first branded cargo plane at the annual Seafair Air Show, one of 40 jetliners that will make up Amazon's own air transportation network. It's Amazon's latest push to speed delivery of products to millions of its online shoppers drawn to fast, no-extra-cost delivery.


The e-commerce giant is taking more control of its delivery process as it ships an increasing number of packages worldwide. Amazon's parcel volume was an estimated 1 billion packages in 2015 — the same number that FedEx delivered three years earlier for hundreds of thousands of customers.

Amazon has leased 40 Boeing jets from Atlas Air and Air Transportation Services Group, which will operate the air cargo network. Eleven of the planes are already delivering packages for Amazon's Prime customers with the remaining planes to be rolled out in the next couple of years.