Amazon adds third carrier in Sun Country Air, fleet could near 100 by 2021

Minneapolis-based low-cost carrier Sun Country Air has agreed to operate ten 737-800BCFs on a CMI-basis for Amazon for a period of six years. The carrier will become Amazon’s third ACMI operator in the United States after Air Transport Services Group and Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings.

Amazon will lease all ten 737-800BCFs from GECAS, and transfer them to Sun Country’s Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) for operation on a CMI-basis in a deal mirroring one reached with Atlas in March, Amazon confirmed to Cargo Facts. The first Sun Country Air-operated freighter is expected to join the fleet next April.

Although Sun Country has never operated freighters, the carrier is no stranger to the 737-800 platform and currently operates a passenger fleet comprised of twenty-three of the airframe type. Jude Bricker, CEO, Sun Country Air told the Star Tribune his company had originally tried to market its aircraft to Amazon, and the company rebuffed the offer with a proposal to operate aircraft on its behalf.

Amazon is committed to lease at least twenty 737-800BCF freighters from GECAS by 2021, the lessor announced in June. The e-commerce giant is however, believed to have additional options with GECAS for more conversions, beyond the 20 units. To date, CMI contracts have only been awarded for 15 of the twenty 737-800BCFs. In addition to Sun Country’s ten units, Southern Air is committed to operating five 737-800BCFs by year-end.

Just how large will the fleet get?

Apart from the narrowbody freighter operation, Atlas Air leases to Amazon and operates seventeen 767-300Fs, and ATSG affiliate carriers are contracted to operate 32 767Fs for Amazon by the end of next year under a similar dry lease + CMI arrangement.

Excluding options or any additional lease or CMI commitments, Amazon Air’s fleet is expected to grow to 64 units by 2021. Including options, the Amazon Air fleet could grow to 96 units by 2021. Amazon currently has options with ATSG to lease up to 17 more freighters by 2021 , and options with Atlas for the CMI operation of fifteen 737-800CFs.  Nearing 100 units by 2021 wouldn’t be unreasonable based on the operation’s growth since 2016. But 96 is not a prime number, and the fleet is not expected to stop growing there.