LE BOURGET, Paris: June 18, 2019. Amazon is to lease 15 B737-800 cargo aircraft from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) for its expanding US domestic network, adding to the five already leased from GE earlier this year.

“These new aircraft create additional capacity for Amazon Air, building on the investment in our Prime Free One-Day programme,” said Dave Clark, senior vice president of Worldwide Operations at Amazon. “By 2021, Amazon Air will have a portfolio of 70 aircraft flying in our dedicated air network.”

Amazon will open new air facilities this year at Fort Worth Alliance Airport, Wilmington Air Park, and Chicago Rockford International Airport. The company's main air hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport will open in 2021.

“We’re delighted to support Amazon Air’s dedicated air network,” said Richard Greener, GECAS Cargo’s senior vice president. “The capability of the 737-800 freighter will further Amazon’s ability to provide reliable and regional delivery to its customers for years to come.”

Launching the 737-800 passenger-to-freighter conversion programme in 2016 and delivering the inaugural Boeing Converted Freighter less than one year ago, GECAS says it has plans to convert at least 50 of the type. The aircraft have 12 main deck pallet positions, a structural payload of 23,500kgs (51,800lbs) and a maximum range of over 2,100 nautical miles.