For The First Time Amazon Prime Air Cargo Planes Are Ready For Takeoff

FedEx Corporation and United Parcel Service, Inc. are not alone anymore, Amazon.com's Prime Air cargo jets are ready for takeoff.

On Friday, Amazon unveiled the first Boeing 767 of its new fleet of branded cargo planes at Seattle’s Seafair Air Show.

The e-commerce behemoth, which has helped grow the revenues of both FedEx and UPS' package delivery services, now wants a piece of the action.

Even if that action involves its own deliveries - for now.

Its first-ever branded cargo plane, the Amazon One, is a Boeing 767-300 operated by cargo service provider Atlas Air.

This is one of 40 planes Amazon has agreed to lease from Atlas Air and another partner, ATSG.

Amazon is currently using 11 of the cargo jets, but the company said it plans to roll out more planes in the fleet later this year.

In a press release statement ahead of the event, Dave Clark, Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide operations, outlined plans for a more expansive “air transportation network.”

The company is looking for more efficient ways to meet the large volume of deliveries it has daily, while also cutting down on delivery times across the country.

“Creating an air transportation network is expanding our capacity to ensure great delivery speeds for our Prime members for years to come,” Clark added.

“I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate the inaugural flight than in our hometown at Seafair alongside Amazon employees and Seattle residents.”

It would seem, controlling its own logistics instead of relying on either FedEx or UPS is one way Amazon plans to achieve its delivery goals.

To date, Amazon has insisted it has no intention of fully replacing its logistics partners. But with Amazon also experimenting with drone deliveries, UPS and FedEx can't rest on their laurels and expect to survive.

Related: When Shipping Speed Matters, Think Air Cargo