Amazon Prime customers in Alaska could see faster package delivery starting next week.
Amazon’s air cargo operation, Amazon Air, will start serving Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on June 27, the airport announced Thursday in a Facebook post. The service will operate daily to the airport, an Amazon spokeswoman said.
Alaska, starting next week we're welcoming Amazon Air to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport! #OpenForBusiness ✈️📦👏
Posted by Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities on Thursday, June 20, 2019
Amazon shipping orders direct will be faster than partnering with another company to move cargo up to Alaska, said airport manager Jim Szczesniak.
Adding Amazon Air to the fleet mix at Ted Stevens “just makes our entire airport network much more powerful," Szczesniak said. “(We’re) always trying to make sure we maintain a strong market here because we want to continue to strengthen the airport.”
The Anchorage airport is the fifth-largest airport in the world in terms of cargo that passes through, according to the state.
[Amazon Prime eases rural Alaska’s pricey shipping woes]
Amazon Air launched in 2016 and operates out of more than 20 airports around the U.S., spokeswoman Rena Lunak said in an email. There are currently 42 aircraft in the fleet, and that number is set to grow to 70 by 2021, she said.
Amazon Prime members get free two-day shipping in the Lower 48. But in Alaska, according to the company’s website, free standard shipping for Prime customers takes three to seven business days.