Amazon Suspends 21 Air Partnership and Removes Seven 767 Freighters
en.Wedoany.com Reported - Amazon is restructuring its air cargo network: the company announced it is suspending its operational partnership with 21 Air and removing seven 767 freighters from its contract fleet, just weeks before the traditional fourth-quarter peak season. The decision was announced yesterday, a week after an Amazon Air 767 operated by 21 Air overran the runway at Miami International Airport, killing five people on the ground.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said safety is always the top priority, whether in the company's own operations or when working with partners. She said that after the tragic event over the weekend, the company took time to support the investigation and review the circumstances, and then decided to suspend its operational partnership with 21 Air, the operator of Flight 7598. Amazon will continue to support the investigation and all those affected. Amazon did not explain what the "circumstances" specifically referred to, nor did it say it was merely suspending the carrier pending the investigation's outcome. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation has expanded beyond the mechanical issues of the accident itself.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said investigators will examine 21 Air's procedures and its relationship with Amazon, including safety provisions contained in the two companies' contracts or policies. The investigation also covers the crew, training and experience, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight, aircraft systems, and the operation of the flight. Preliminary evidence recovered from the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder raises significant questions about the approach and attempted landing, but the NTSB emphasized that this information remains preliminary and that no probable cause has been determined. Investigators have not yet determined why the speedbrakes and thrust reversers did not deploy—even though the aircraft was still traveling at 65kt when the flight recorder stopped; nor have they determined why the go-around attempt was abandoned, or whether mechanical, crew, or other factors contributed to the accident.
The suspension leaves Amazon needing to replace flying previously performed by 21 Air's seven surviving 767s. An eighth aircraft dedicated to Amazon was destroyed in the Miami accident. Planespotters fleet data identifies the seven surviving aircraft as N1181A, N1373A, N1381A, N1399A, N1409A, N1487A, and N661AZ. Five are currently listed as parked, located in Miami, Cincinnati, and Wilmington. The aircraft have not been idle since the accident; in the days following, 21 Air continued operating Amazon services, with its 767s flying routes connecting Miami and Amazon's Cincinnati hub with San Juan and Latin American destinations.
The loss of seven 767s is unlikely to leave Amazon facing an absolute aircraft shortage. Its contract air network includes a large number of 767 freighters operated by Air Transport International (ATI) and ABX Air, as well as A330 freighters operated by Hawaiian Airlines and 737 freighters flown by Sun Country and other operators. Amazon fleet data shows ATI has particularly substantial replacement 767 capacity, and ABX recently added several relatively young 767-300Fs to Amazon operations. Amazon also has 10 active A330-300 freighters operated by Hawaiian, with additional aircraft listed as pending delivery.
The challenge, therefore, may not lie in finding seven aircraft, but in quickly deploying suitable widebody capacity onto the routes and schedules previously covered by 21 Air. The most directly affected scope appears to be concentrated around Miami, Cincinnati, and San Juan, as well as Amazon-related services to Latin America. Amazon has not disclosed which of its other contract carriers will take over 21 Air's flying, nor whether the restructuring will result in reduced flight frequencies.
The suspension also comes as 21 Air's safety culture faces separate scrutiny. CBS News reported that former 21 Air employees had previously raised safety concerns. The Loadstar previously confirmed that, as of the end of July, the carrier was still awaiting an FAA decision on one of its applications, which concerns how to consolidate 757 and 767 pilot operating experience requirements. There is no evidence that the requested exemption applied to the pilots of Flight 7598 or had any connection to the accident.
The NTSB investigation is ongoing, with its latest formal investigative update issued on September 9; no probable cause has been determined.
