Amazon reportedly looking to acquire German airport in order to speed up deliveries (AMZN)
Reuters/Brendan McDermid
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Amazon may be interested in acquiring the Frankfurt-Hahn airport in Germany, reports GeekWire. The potential purchase was reported in German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung citing discussions between the e-commerce giant and the airport.
The airport is reportedly deciding between three possible bidders at the moment. Amazon is supposedly interested in this airport because it is located near a large Amazon fulfillment center and the airport could facilitate faster transport out of the area.
This is the latest in a string of developments for Amazon's air cargo business. Just last month the company signed a deal with Air Transport Services Group to operate an air cargo network that will service Amazon customers in the US. This means that Amazon will now have access to a private fleet of aircraft solely used for transporting its own cargo within the country. The deal includes a lease of 20 Boeing 767 freighter aircraft for 5 to 7 years.
Amazon was also rumored to be the sole tenant of a nonpassenger airport facility out of Wilmington, Ohio, last November. It was reportedly operating its own air cargo flights out of the airport. Though Amazon would not confirm its use of the airport, a representative from Ontario International Airport stated that it was "general consumer goods" being shipped and unloaded. It is possible that Amazon was temporarily using this facility for the holiday season, but no one can confirm how long this operation will last.
Amazon's heavy focus on building its own logistics service helps solidify its spot as the biggest e-commerce business around — one whose high volume of shipments requires its own freight system. This is not Amazon's first experiment in the delivery logistics space; it's been waiting to unveil its Prime Air drone delivery system for the past 2 years. Elsewhere in the last-mile fulfillment space, Amazon filed a patent in February for delivery trucks outfitted with 3D printers, according to The Verge. This system would allow drivers to quickly reach customers while their orders are 3D printed in the back of the truck.
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