Amazon is shopping for used long-range Boeing and Airbus cargo planes, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest evidence of the e-commerce giant’s ambitions to move products across borders itself.
Amazon is in the market for refurbished cargo versions of one of the largest twin-engine passenger jets currently flying, Boeing’s 777-300ER, along with conversions of Airbus’s popular A330-300 wide-body aircraft, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential matters. Both models are a step up from the mid-size Boeing 767 aircraft that have served as the backbone of Amazon’s fleet for five years.
Converted Boeing 777s would let Amazon directly import products from China and other countries, the people said, stepping up the company’s rivalry with United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx. A refurbished cargo version of the 777 passenger plane – dubbed the 777-300ERSF – will enter service next year. It will hold 25 per cent more volume than Boeing’s existing freighter and is emerging as an heir to the planemaker’s hump-backed 747 jumbos that have hauled goods across the North Pacific for decades.
Shares of the package carriers pared their gains on the Bloomberg report. FedEx rose 1.3 per cent to $224.11 at 12.55pm in New York, while UPS rose less than 1 per cent to $182.67.
Amazon is seeking 10 Airbus A330-300 aircraft, as well as crews to fly them. The company’s request for proposals, described by three people familiar with the situation, is expected to be fulfilled by planes converted from passenger use. The company is also seeking an unspecified number of 777-300ERSF aircraft, according to two of the people.
It’s unclear where Amazon would acquire the planes and whether they would be purchased or leased. The company declined to comment.
Amazon Air was founded in 2016 to speed shipments of products from the company’s warehouses to shoppers. Eager to expand the reach of its delivery network and cut its dependence on third-party carriers, Amazon put together a fleet of leased and purchased aircraft acquired from other companies, typically at a discount to new models rolling off the assembly line.
Today, Amazon Air has grown to about 75 planes, including converted Boeing 767 wide-body and 737 narrow-body aircraft, with four ATR 72 turboprops on the way, according to Planespotters.net. They are flown by third-party contractors, including Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Air Transport Services Group and Sun Country Airlines Holdings, and operate almost exclusively within North America and Europe.
The Seattle-based company was flying 164 flights a day in August, up from about 80 a day in May 2020, according to researchers with DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. Most flights serve airports a few hours’ drive from more than 70 per cent of the US population, researchers say. In August, Amazon opened a sprawling 800,000-square-foot, $1.5 billion air cargo hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport that helps it quickly transfer cargo to flights bound for other airports.
As Covid-19 upended global supply lines, Amazon started chartering international flights to fly products to the US. Initially, the planes flew in personal-protective equipment from factories in China. But with the pandemic dragging on and space on aircraft and container ships still scarce, the company has continued to charter flights to transport goods to its US warehouses. The operation, which is separate from Amazon Air, also ferries products for other companies.
The international charter flights could potentially be scaled back once Amazon acquires cargo jets designed to routinely cross the Pacific Ocean.
Inside the Amazon Salon in London - in pictures
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Date: Sunday, November 25
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports
The%20specs
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets
Autumn international scores
Saturday, November 24
Italy 3-66 New Zealand
Scotland 14-9 Argentina
England 37-18 Australia
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
