Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos yesterday broke ground on construction of a $1.5 billion Amazon Air hub outside Cincinnati as part of a plan to deliver packages to consumers faster.
The e-commerce giant plans to operate 50 freighters from its northern Kentucky hub near Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Amazon has placed an order for more B767Fs and currently operates 39 operated by Atlas Air and ATSG.
Bezos said: “Let’s move some earth,” before climbed into a John Deere front loader and scooped a pile of dirt.
He posted a video on his Twitter account and tweetd: “We’re investing $1.5 billion in our new air hub to get you your packages faster. Three million square feet, and it’s going to create 2,000 jobs. And if you’re guessing that driving a front loader was fun, you’re right!”
The new hub was announced in 2017 and is set to open in 2021. Amazon says the hub will enable it to get packages to customers faster and Bezos is reported as saying it will move Prime from two days delivery to one day.
The northern Kentucky air hub is part of a long-term Amazon plan to expand its own transportation and delivery network, so it will have to rely less on the likes of UPS and FedEx.
“Our new Amazon Air hub, opening in 2021, is part of our continued investment in Prime to ensure we have the capacity required for continued outstanding service for our customers,” said Sarah Rhoads, director of Amazon Air.
“We’re proud to call Kentucky home for our air hub, creating more than 2,000 jobs in this fantastic community.”
