Amazon suspends flights with 21 Air after Miami runway overrun
Amazon suspended operations with cargo carrier 21 Air after a deadly runway overrun in Miami, removing eight of its 106 freighter aircraft from the network. The suspension removes less than 7% of Amazon’s freighter fleet but replacing the aircraft could take six to nine months.
Amazon could transfer the seven surviving 767‑300BCF/BDSF aircraft to another operator, such as Air Transport Services Group, which would need to adapt them to its own specifications and hire additional pilots. In the short term, Amazon can shift some domestic flights to other cargo partners or use truck connections, potentially extending delivery windows for customers. International routes remain the harder challenge, as 21 Air’s lift into Latin America and the Caribbean cannot be quickly replaced without significant cost or delay.
“Getting eight replacement 767-300BCF/BDSFs is neither easy nor quick in a tight freighter aircraft market,” Tom Crabtree, managing director at Transport Research Advisory said.
“If we assume the total contract is canceled and Amazon needs to redeploy the seven [surviving] aircraft, a best case scenario is all seven aircraft are running in mid-Q3 next year,” Derek Lossing, principal advisor at Cirrus Global Advisors said.
21 Air has been flying for Amazon since November 2024. Alongside 21 Air, Amazon Air’s network includes other partners such as Sun Country Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Cargojet, ASL and other direct air carrier partners.
What we know
21 Air represented eight of the 106 freighter aircraft in Amazon’s controlled network as of the end of August.
With one aircraft destroyed in the Miami crash, Amazon is effectively taking seven aircraft out of its network while the suspension remains in place.
That represents less than 7 percent of Amazon’s fleet.
It could take six to nine months for those aircraft to be fully redeployed to another operator.
Jonathan Colehower estimates that fully absorbing 21 Air’s cargo could take six to eight weeks.