Amazon leases 40 planes for faster delivery

NEW YORK (AA) – Amazon announced Friday that it has agreed to lease 40 cargo airplanes to serve its customers for faster shipping.

The planes are leased through the company's air cargo partners Atlas Air and ATSG. The first plane, a Boeing 767-300 named Amazon One and operated by Atlas Air, will be showcased at Seafair’s Air Show in Seattle on Friday.

"Creating an air transportation network is expanding our capacity to ensure great delivery speeds for our Prime members for years to come,” Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, said in a statement.

“I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate the inaugural flight than in our hometown at Seafair alongside Amazon employees and Seattle residents," he added.

There was no information about the cost nor duration of the lease.

There are currently 11 planes flying for the e-commerce giant, and the company launched Amazon Flex last year -- a mobile application in which individuals can sign-up and start delivering for Amazon.

The company has a worldwide network of more than 125 fulfillment centers and over 20 sortation centers where high-tech robotics and other innovations are used for faster customer delivery.

Amazon recently reported strong second quarter earnings, with revenue up 31 percent to $30.4 billion and net income climbing to $857 million.