EXPLORING THE AMAZON
News in December that Amazon Air was to add to its footprint in
Dallas’ Alliance airport and establish its own regional hub has
undoubtedly sent a few tremors through the cargo sector.
With a growing fl eet of leased freighters (Amazon currently
musters over 40 B767 models), the move sees Amazon turning a
page in the history books. Although it has hitherto been relying
largely on mainstream air couriers like the US Postal Service, FedEx
and UPS for its services, this initiative will see it make gains on
postal charges, which should accelerate as its fl eet grows. That
said, analysts believe that there will still be much scope for the
“traditional” carriers and allied business.
Tagged as a business airport, namely one without any
commercial passenger services, Alliance airport lies some 12 miles
west of Dallas Fort Worth International airport. A very long runway
is expressly aimed at freighter traffi c, especially that which is
looking to fl y long distance.
What is interesting about the site is that the new regional air
hub being built at Dallas Fort Worth Alliance will represent the
fi rst that the company has been able to design from the ground
up. The facility is expected to be operational some time in 2019
at a suggested overall cost of US$11m; the existing 72,000 square
foot facility will be swelled by an additional 120,000 square feet
and will include facilities that will be tailored specifi cally to the
retailer’s online business.
AIRPORT
UPDATE
that the current infrastructure
allowed the handling of 110
tonnes to 120 tonnes of cargo
per day and that this was
clearly not enough in view
of the projected growth in
demand.
It is remarkable that Borispol
airport needs no outside
investors to implement these
projects; construction work is
due to be started in 2019.
Overall, it is believed
that the lack of suffi cient
infrastructure is the only reason
why cargo fl ows within the
country’s aviation sector are
rather low. The new projects,
however, may rectify this state
of affairs.
4 February 2019 www.airlogisticsinternational.com
/www.airlogisticsinternational.com