Amazon Reveals 'Prime Air' Cargo Jet

Amazon.com Inc. on Thursday unveiled the first in a planned fleet of new cargo jets, part of a plan by the e-commerce giant to expand its logistics operation.

The Boeing 767-300, emblazoned with "Prime Air" on its fuselage, is to be operated by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc. It is one of 40 that Amazon has agreed to lease as it broadens its system for shipping and delivering goods quickly to supplement partners such as United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp.

The plane is part of a deal announced In May to lease 20 Boeing planes from Atlas Air, following a similar deal in March to lease as many as 20 jets from Air Transport Services Group.

The effort stems from a broad desire at Amazon to take greater control of its shipping and package delivery operations. In some cases, the company is using its own trucks, drivers and a fleet of couriers for so-called last mile delivery, the final and most-expensive leg of an order's trip.

Notably, the Prime Air designation has been used until now for Amazon's nascent drone delivery program.

Amazon plans to debut the plane in public on Friday at the Boeing Seafair Air Show in its hometown of Seattle.

Write to Greg Bensinger at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 05, 2016 03:05 ET (07:05 GMT)

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