Amazon Air has launched twice-daily freighter service at Miami International Airport.
The new cargo service is being operated by Atlas Air Worldwide with Boeing 767-300F aircraft and includes an onsite facility at MIA to sort packages bound for their next destination.
Amazon already operates four warehouses in Miami-Dade County, all within 12 miles of MIA. The largest is an 885,000-square-foot fulfillment center at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport completed this year.
“Amazon Air’s two daily flights will add a significant boost to our domestic cargo traffic, which is already up 17 percent through August,” said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Lester Sola.
Amazon Air’s launch comes nine months after the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) hosted its first e-commerce strategy workshop. Market research firm eMarketer forecasts Latin America will experience strong e-commerce growth, with a projected doubling of annual sales from $47.4 billion in 2015 to $84.8 billion in 2019, MDAD said, adding that MIA is America’s busiest airport for international freight and handles more freight to Latin America and the Caribbean than any other U.S. airport.