Amazon expands air cargo network

Amazon has expanded its air cargo network with daily service to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), officials said this week.

The retailer’s air service, Amazon Air, now reaches more than 40 U.S. airports. Amazon Air packages will arrive in Pittsburgh daily via a Boeing 737-800F freighter, expanding service to customers in Western Pennsylvania.

The company will lease 50,000 square feet of space at PIT that will include an onsite area for sorting packages. The facility is expected to support more than 50 jobs, airport officials said.

“We are excited that Amazon is continuing its investment in the region with the addition of Amazon Air operations at our airport,” Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis said in a statement. “We welcome Amazon Air and look forward to building our partnership. This announcement is a major milestone in positioning PIT as an international logistics center.”

PIT has been steadily increasing its air freight business, reporting a 29% increase in year-over-year cargo traffic in March, the most recent month for which data is available. In April, the airport welcomed international carrier Finnair, which operated short-term nonstop cargo flights from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Finland, and in December, Qatar Airways resumed its cargo operations at PIT. FedEx and UPS also have upped their operations at PIT, with the carriers increasing year-over-year flights by 46%and 83%, respectively, in March, airport officials said.