 |
In March 2026 Amazon Air expanded its operational footprint into Northeast India as part of a major scaling of its domestic logistics network. The company is now operating a dedicated cargo corridor linking Guwahati and Kolkata with major fulfilment hubs such as Delhi and Bengaluru.
This expansion represents an important step forward for Amazon as it helps broaden the coverage of their specialized air network focused on e-commerce deliveries.
Amazon Air has introduced freighter flights into Guwahati, creating a regional logistics hub for the seven Northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura.
The first Amazon Air flight to Guwahati was inaugurated by Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, alongside Amazon executives and state officials. “Given the Northeast’s immense potential in horticulture and cargo exports, the launch of this cargo route will further support farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs of the region,” the minister said, noting that air connectivity in the Northeast has grown significantly in the past decade.
Operational airports in the region have increased from nine in 2014 to 16 today, reflecting the government’s wider “Act East” connectivity strategy.
Amazon is the first e-commerce company in India to operate a dedicated air cargo network, reaffirming its long-term commitment to strengthen its transportation infrastructure in India. Amazon Air provides network branding and logistics platform while QuikJet operates the aircraft and manages the flight operations. The company has been operating two Boeing 737-800BCF (Boeing Converted Freighters). Each has a capacity of roughly 22 tonnes of cargo across 12 main-deck pallet positions.
These aircraft are particularly suited to e-commerce logistics primarily for their medium payload capacity, which is ideal for parcel traffic, high utilization with multiple overnight rotations, and narrow-body efficiency allowing access to secondary airports.
Industry observers say the aircraft type offers an optimal balance for the high-volume, low-density shipments typical of e-commerce. Amazon aircraft links several hubs on a single rotation by trans-shipping and using Amazon’s multimodal capabilities.
Recent flight patterns show aircraft operating sectors across Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata before continuing to Guwahati, maximizing aircraft utilization and minimizing empty legs. For decades, Northeast India has faced persistent logistics constraints because of geography.
Surface cargo must pass through the narrow Siliguri Corridor, often referred to as the “Chicken’s Neck”, which links the region to mainland India. Seasonal weather disruptions, terrain and limited rail capacity have historically slowed freight movement.
The introduction of dedicated freighter capacity changes that equation. Shipments that previously took seven to nine days via road or rail can now move through an overnight air-to-surface model, with parcels flown into Guwahati and distributed across the region by road.
 According to Amazon, the integrated air and ground network will improve delivery speeds by up to five times across the Northeast. The logistics improvement could have a broader economic impact across the region. Faster transport links allow businesses in the Northeast — particularly those dealing in horticulture, specialty produce, handicrafts and artisanal goods — to access markets across India more reliably.
Dr. Ravi Kota, Chief Secretary of Assam, said the service would help expand market access for local entrepreneurs. “Enhanced logistics connectivity plays a crucial role in empowering local businesses and expanding market access for enterprises across the Northeast,” he said. Improved fulfilment speeds will allow regional sellers to reach customers nationwide while also supporting employment and economic growth in the region.
Amazon launched Amazon Air in India in 2023, creating the country’s only dedicated e-commerce air cargo network.
The system combines:
Dedicated freighters
Belly cargo partnerships with passenger airlines
Multimodal connections
A nationwide road logistics network
The network now connects over 100 origin-destination pairs across India and serves five cities with freighter capacity and over 40 cities via multimodal networks. Amazon’s overnight routes link major metros including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Guwahati, enabling rapid fulfilment for Prime deliveries.
Abhinav Singh, Amazon’s Vice-President for Operations in India and Australia, said the Northeast expansion reflects the company’s long-term investment in logistics infrastructure. “The expansion of Amazon Air to the Northeast is a natural progression of our investments in India’s logistics network. Customers will gain access to Amazon’s selection at speeds up to five times faster than before, while sellers in the region can reach customers nationwide more reliably,” he said.
India’s recent budget for 2026 places clear priority on boosting air cargo infrastructure, and the expansion we’re seeing fits right into that strategy. The government is putting money into upgrading cargo terminals and cold-chain warehousing, improving facilities for perishable and high-value exports, and removing limits on courier export values—all moves designed to fuel cross-border e-commerce. Naturally, these steps are likely to raise the demand for dedicated freighter capacity within the country.
It’s not only about logistics, that dedicated freighter services introduced in Guwahati will help to improve, it is a step that shows that e-commerce air cargo networks integrating pan-India are becoming a reality. In this regard airlines logistics providers, and digital marketplaces cooperate within the same unified supply chains. For Amazon, this development is a clear sign of how a small specialized cargo airline can be a game changer in the Indian logistics industry by linking distant regions, delivering goods faster, and enabling the growth of the digital commerce sector in the country.
Tirthankar Ghosh |
100%
Green