Amazon goes to launch its personal air cargo fleet in India, as a part of effort by the worldwide ecommerce large to increase and have extra management over logistics operations in one of many largest and quickest rising markets for it, individuals within the know of the plan mentioned.

Amazon’s signature Prime Air will solely transport packages for the corporate and carry the acquainted mild blue ‘smile’ brand on the plane fuselage. Likely to be launched by the top of this month, the fleet shall be operated by QuikJet, a Bengaluru-based cargo airline which is a three way partnership between Cyrus Guzder of provide chain firm AFL and Ireland-based ASL Aviation Group.

While the fleet will initially have two Boeing 737-800 freighters, which may carry as much as 23.9 tonnes of cargo, Amazon plans to have six such plane by the top of this yr, the individuals mentioned.

Amazon didn’t reply until press time Friday to an electronic mail searching for remark. QuikJet couldn’t be reached for remark.

India is the primary market outdoors the US and Europe the place Amazon is launching its devoted air cargo operation, which can assist it create an in a single day supply community of its personal right here as effectively. The Seattle-based firm launched Prime Air within the US in 2016 and operates out of airports near its warehouses.

Globally, the fleet contains 91 plane, together with small Boeing 737s, midsize 767s and ATRs. All of those are leased from and operated by third events. In Europe, the ASL group manages Amazon’s air cargo operations.

QuikJet was began in 2007 by IL&FS, Tata Capital and IDFC, however needed to floor operations in 2013 amid excessive oil worth. Last yr, Guzder and ASL joined arms to revive it.

“Having Amazon as a dedicated customer will make the QuikJet model successful this time as it will completely eliminate its dependence on freight forwarders and have certainty on revenue,” an individual conscious of the planning mentioned.

In India, one in all Amazon’s largest markets outdoors the US, the corporate has a big base of ‘Prime’ clients, in keeping with a report by brokerage agency Bernstein. Amazon supplies same-day or next-day deliveries to Prime clients.

The firm feels logistics growth is essential because it seeks to hurry up deliveries and make the method more economical, individuals briefed on the plan mentioned.

“While Amazon has been using the belly space of airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet, it felt that it needed more control over its air cargo network because the number of Prime customers has been growing significantly in India,” the individual cited earlier mentioned. “A dedicated cargo airline gives the company control to move its objects from its warehouse to nearby smaller cities overnight.”

India will even cater as a hub for different nations in Southeast Asia, he added.

The US ecommerce large’s native delivery companies arm, Amazon Transportation, which homes the logistics enterprise, is planning to open its logistics infrastructure operations in India for non-Amazon orders to numerous on-line companies, ET had reported.

Indian airways are growing their cargo capability, with the devoted freighter fleet growing from simply 5 plane earlier than Covid to twenty-eight now. IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India Express and Bluedart are additionally seeking to induct extra plane for carrying cargo.