Amazon Doubles Down On Air Cargo Delivery

Amazon is taking to the skies once again.

Just a couple months after partnering with Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) to facilitate air delivery within the U.S., the eCommerce giant has struck a deal with another air cargo service, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, thus doubling its fleet of jets domestically, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Per its arrangement with Atlas, Amazon gets the lease on 20 of the company’s Boeing 767 freighters. The contract, notes WSJ, includes crew, maintenance and insurance on all of the planes, and will last for seven years.

Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, commented to the outlet that the deal with Atlas would “support package delivery to the rapidly growing number of Prime members who love ultrafast delivery.”

WSJ adds that the agreement between Amazon and Atlas is expected to go into effect in the second half of the year, building up to eventually include all aforementioned 20 planes (and crew) by the end of 2018.