Amazon Air takes off to Northeast India, delivering 5X faster

Amazon has expanded its dedicated air cargo network, Amazon Air, to Northeast India, introducing new cargo routes connecting Kolkata and Guwahati. The move is expected to significantly enhance delivery speed and reliability across the region, strengthening logistics connectivity while improving access to products and markets for both customers and sellers.

The inaugural Amazon Air flight to Guwahati was flagged off at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi by Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, India’s Minister of Civil Aviation, alongside Abhinav Singh, Vice President – Operations, India and Australia at Amazon, and Chetan Krishnaswamy, Vice President – Public Policy, Amazon India.

With the expansion, Amazon aims to strengthen delivery connectivity across the seven northeastern states, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, through its integrated air and surface logistics network.

By combining dedicated freighter capacity with its multimodal transportation infrastructure, the company expects to reduce transit times significantly, with delivery speeds improving by up to five times for customers across the region. The faster connectivity will allow customers to access a broad selection of products ranging from everyday essentials and smartphones to consumer electronics, fashion and beauty products.

The initiative also aligns with India’s broader push to enhance connectivity and logistics infrastructure in the northeastern region.

“With Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi Ji’s priority focus on the North-East through the vision of ‘Act East, Act Fast, Act First’, infrastructure and connectivity in the North-Eastern region have grown multifold. Today, every state in the North-East has an airport and the number of operational airports has increased from 9 in 2014 to 16 today. Given the North East’s immense potential in horticulture and cargo exports, today’s launch of Amazon Air’s cargo route from Delhi to Guwahati will further support the farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs of the North-East. The Government has also taken several significant interventions to encourage air cargo growth in the country. In Budget 2026, special emphasis has been placed on building air cargo infrastructure and warehousing capacity to strengthen logistics for perishable and high-value products. Additionally, the value cap on courier exports has been removed which will help boost cross-border e-commerce. And I congratulate Amazon for adding to air freight network of the country with today’s milestone launch,” said Shri Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation.

Regional authorities also highlighted the potential economic benefits the development could bring to businesses and communities across the Northeast.

“Enhanced logistics connectivity plays a crucial role in empowering local entrepreneurs and expanding market access for businesses and employment across the Northeast. For sellers in the region, the introduction of Amazon Air services to Guwahati will enable enterprises to connect with customers nationwide. Improved fulfillment speeds will allow businesses to reach a wider customer base and participate more meaningfully in India’s rapidly growing digital economy, while also bringing the benefits of faster and more reliable deliveries to customers and communities across Assam and the wider Northeast region. Such advancements in logistics infrastructure are also expected to generate substantial employment opportunities for local youth. It is hoped that the operationalization of Amazon Air services will further contribute to job creation and support the overall economic growth of the region," said Dr. Ravi Kota, IAS, Chief Secretary, Assam.

For Amazon, the expansion reflects the continued growth of its logistics infrastructure in India since launching Amazon.in in 2013.

“Since launching Amazon.in in 2013, we have consistently invested in building one of India’s largest logistics networks to serve customers wherever they live. The expansion of Amazon Air to the Northeast is a natural progression of those investments and reflects our long-term commitment to strengthening connectivity across the country. It also aligns with the Government’s focus on improving logistics infrastructure and unlocking economic opportunity in the region. For customers, this means access to Amazon’s vast selection at 5x better speeds than before, while sellers and entrepreneurs in the Northeast can now reach customers across India faster and more reliably,” said Abhinav Singh, VP – Operations, India and Australia, Amazon.

Launched in India in 2023, Amazon Air operates a dedicated fleet of narrow-body freighters designed to support the company’s rapidly growing e-commerce logistics network. The service currently moves tens of thousands of packages daily across the country.

The overnight network connects major metros including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Guwahati and Pune, while multimodal air-rail connections extend the reach to additional cities. Including belly cargo partnerships with commercial airlines, Amazon’s air logistics network now supports more than 100 origin-destination pairs across India.

The latest expansion underscores the growing role of dedicated air cargo networks in enabling faster e-commerce deliveries, while strengthening regional connectivity and opening new economic opportunities for businesses in emerging markets.