Telangana IT Minister, KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Monday formally launched India’s first e-commerce cargo fleet, Amazon Air to enable faster deliveries and enhance the transportation network in the country at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad, Telangana.

Amazon is said to utilize the cargo capacity of two Boeing 737-800 aircrafts operated by Quikjet Cargo Airlines, a Bengaluru-based cargo airline which has partnered with Amazon to launch the maiden air freight service in India.

Speaking at the launch event, Minister KTR said, “This makes Amazon the first e-commerce company in India to partner with a third-party carrier to provide a dedicated air network for deliveries with Hyderabad getting to host the event.”

“Amazon is currently working with Telangana’s Handlooms department in helping over 4500 weavers in 56 villages across the state,” remarked KTR.

According to reports, each Amazon Air aircraft will ship thousands of packages every day and fly across in India’s top metros, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad which will enable ship the goods to these cities in a faster way.

“We’re thrilled to launch Amazon Air in India to ensure we can provide our growing customer base with great selection, low prices, and faster deliveries,” said Sarah Rhoads, Vice President, Amazon Global Air.

The launch of the aircraft reaffirms Amazon’s commitment to invest in India’s logistical infrastructure, it will create more jobs in the local economy and introduce newer capabilities to power Amazon’s delivery network.

The launch of Amazon Air will further support 1.1 million sellers in India which will enable growth for ancillary businesses such as transportation and packaging.

“This marks a very important step for our sellers and our customers, as well as a huge step forward for the aviation industry. We are celebrating a significant milestone in our global mission to transform the future of logistics,” said Akhil Saxena, Vice President, Customer Fulfilment (APAC< MENA & LATAM) and WW Customer Service, Amazon.

 “Amazon Air comes to India at an important time. Over the last few years, we have taken many positive steps to build our fulfilment, transportation, and logistics infrastructure in the country,” he added.

Today, in India, there are a total of 15 states that are home to Amazon India’s fulfillment centres, which offer 43 million cubic feet of storage space for seller inventory. 19 states have sortation centres, which have a processing space of almost 2.3 million square feet. Deliveries are now possible to 100% of serviceable pin codes thanks to its last-mile network, and over 97% of consumers in these pin codes now receive their items within two days after placing an order.

Amazon Air was launched in the year 2016 in the US and now has a network of over 110 aircraft serving 70 locations across the world. Ever since then, Amazon has invested hundreds of millions in its air logistics capabilities. It has also created thousands of new employees throughout the world.

While continuing to grow globally to meet the demands of its growing customer base, Amazon Air also invests in environment friendly technologies to run its network.

After United States and Europe, India is Amazon Air’s third largest market.

 (Source- Amazon News India)