Amazon Air is continuing to expand its network with the development of a regional hub in Dallas, announced just days after it revealed an expansion of facilities in Chicago.
The e-commerce firm yesterday announced that it had begun work on new facility at Fort Worth Alliance Airport as part of its plans to turn the airport into a regional air hub.
Amazon has not revealed details of the size of the new facility but it will open next year with reports suggesting it will be developed on the west side of the airport, which is also used by FedEx.
In a statement Amazon Air said the hub will create hundreds of new jobs, and is the first airport project of its kind in the Amazon Air network.
“Unlike other gateways and facilities within Amazon Air’s network, the Regional Air Hub will be tailored specifically to Amazon Air’s larger scale regional needs,” the e-commerce firm said.
“The Regional Air Hub will be constructed with the future in mind to include sortation capability and infrastructure to handle multiple flights daily.”
“We are excited to build a brand new facility from the ground up at the Fort Worth Alliance Airport,” said Sarah Rhoads, director of Amazon Air. “The new facility is the first of its kind for us and we’re thrilled to ensure we have the capacity to continue to delight our customers.”
“I am excited to welcome Amazon Air and the hundreds of jobs this regional hub will create in the Ft. Worth area. Alliance continues to draw the very best. It more than meets expectations year after year,” added Congresswoman Kay Granger.
“We are pleased to grow our partnership with Amazon here at Alliance,” said Bill Burton, executive vice president at Hillwood, the developer. “As one of the world’s most influential retail, technology and supply chain logistics companies, Amazon’s selection of Fort Worth Alliance Airport will continue to transform the airport’s role within the region.”
The airport recently completed a $260m project to expand two of its runways to enable long-haul flights to take off fully loaded with cargo.
At present, many of the airport’s 125,000 annual flight operations are composed of cargo for users of the Alliance Global Logistics Hub, which include the FedEx Southwest Regional Sort Hub and a number of air cargo charter operations.
Earlier this week Amazon announced that it also planned to expand its presence at Chicago Rockford International (RFD).
The airport confirmed reports that the expansion will see the e-commerce firm increase the 72,000 sq ft facility it has been working out of at the airport over the last year and a half, operated by LGSTX, by an extra 120,000 sq ft and will take over the lease of the facility.
The project is expected to cost around $11m and is due to be completed in July 2019.
The other part of the expansion, which has already been completed at a cost of $10m, increased the number of aircraft parking spaces that Amazon has access to from three to eight.
The cargo carrier has also revealed plans to return to Wilmington Air Park, with a new package sorting facility.
Amazon Air had left the airport in favour of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport where it is developing a $1.5bn air hub with space for 100 aircraft. Its fleet currently stands at 40 aircraft.
Amazon Air currently operates out of more than 20 airports across the US. A report covered by Air Cargo News last week revealed the extent of its services and the impact it was having on the revenues of FedEx and UPS.