Hawaiian Airlines will soon fly a fleet of cargo planes for Amazon

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaiian Airlines will soon be flying a fleet of cargo planes for Amazon.

Under a new deal with Amazon announced Friday, Hawaiian will maintain an initial fleet of 10 Airbus A330-300 freighters starting in the fall of 2023.

The agreement also leads to a possible expansion of fleet — by as many as 12 aircraft annually, with a potential fleet size of up to 55 planes — depending on Amazon’s future business needs.

“We are excited to help serve Amazon customers by providing additional air cargo capacity and logistics support. This recognizes our experience in providing safe and reliable operations, our incredible front-line team, and our shared focus on the customer,” said Peter Ingram, president and CEO at Hawaiian Airlines, in a statement.

“This relationship provides a catalyst to grow our business and the unique opportunity to diversify our revenue sources while capitalizing on our established strengths.”

Amazon could have up to a 15% stake in Hawaiian.

“We’re thrilled to work with Hawaiian Airlines,” said Sarah Rhoads, vice president of Amazon Global Air, in a statement. “They will maintain and operate the next generation of aircraft in our fleet, which is a reflection of the excellence they deliver as a renowned airline with their own A330 aircraft.”

Ahead of the launch, Hawaiian expects to ramp up hiring.

Hawaiian stock was up 13% on the news.