14 photos show how Amazon Air delivery works

Have you ever wondered how Amazon is able to facilitate fast deliveries to customers all over the world? While there are a lot of moving pieces involved in delivering your packages quickly, one important component is the Amazon Air program, which uses planes to connect packages to delivery destinations around the world.

Amazon Air operates a fleet of aircraft that fly to more than 70 destinations around the world. Some of these gateways and hubs are able to ship more than 450,000 packages on 12+ planes daily. Each flight requires an incredible team effort where highly trained employees work together to safely pack Amazon orders for customers all over the globe.

Keep reading for an inside look at how Amazon Air works.

We went behind the scenes with Amazon Air General Manager, Marchel Sebacuzi, to watch as his team processed thousands of Amazon orders. Sebacuzi has worked with Amazon for nine years, and is currently responsible for operations at Amazon’s air hub in Fort Worth, Texas, which is one of the network’s largest hubs with more than 1,500 employees.

Marchel Sebacuzi working on a laptop in a conference room at the Amazon Air Hub in Dallas-Fort Worth

Our first stop on the tour was seeing the line-haul trucks that bring packages into the facility to be processed.

An image of a line of semi truck trailers lined up in a row at an Amazon Air hub. The trailers are light blue with white lettering that says "Prime" and large white Amazon smile logos.

Next up, we went inside the facility to see how packages are sorted and processed. The facility uses advanced robotics systems to help employees determine where each package is going and route it to the right plane.

An image of Amazon boxes lined up on a conveyer belt. They are heading down the line to be processed in an Amazon Air facility.

The packages are then loaded into large metal containers called Unit Load Devices (ULDs) that will hold them in place on the aircraft. The ULDs are contoured to fit perfectly inside the plane, and can hold hundreds of packages.

Once the packages are in place, the ULDs are loaded onto a truck and carried out to the runway. Fun fact: some of the trucks (technically called “tugs”) that carry the ULDs are electric powered to help reduce the impact of our operations.

A large vehicle outside of the Amazon Air Hub. There is someone steering the vehicle from a cockpit station. The vehicle is used to carry big, metal containers carrying Amazon packages.

A team on the apron—the parking pad next to the runway—receives the ULDs, then uses an electric-powered, heavy-duty lift called a K-loader to raise them up to the cargo bay. From there, employees guide them into the proper place on the plane. Each plane can hold 12 to 39 ULDs depending on its size.

An image of a light blue Amazon Air plane. The door on the side of the plane is open and employees are loading a large, silver container inside the plane. There are several lifts and stair sets attached to the open doors on the plane for employees to access the inside and load it with containers carrying Amazon packages.

Sebacuzi took us inside an empty plane so we could see the loading configurations that help slide the ULDs into the proper placement on the plane and secure them during the flight.

The inside of an Amazon Air plane. There are various metal lock systems, wheels, and bumps on the floor that help guide the containers inside.

Some smaller packages require a different approach to make sure they remain intact throughout the journey. These items are packed into large bags and stored underneath the planein the cargo hold, much like your checked luggage would be loaded onto a commercial passenger flight.

An image of an Amazon Air plane parked outside of the Air Hub. The back of the plane is featured in this image, showing a car pulled up to the plane and using a mobile conveyer belt to load large bags into the belly of the plane.

There are multiple steps to the packing process to make sure the packages get on the aircraft safely. Amazon Air Hub employees go through robust process training to make sure they’re prepared for the first day. Sebacuzi showed us a mock door that employees use to train on the process of unloading and loading a plane. The training door is appropriately named “The Sail Boat,” as it looks like a big ship sail.

An image of a large, blue structure that looks like a door on the side of the plane. The structure is parked in a cement area outside of the Amazon Air Hub.

Once the plane is loaded, employees run a thorough safety inspection to make sure all packages are secure for the journey. Safety is a top priority. Employees go to a rigorous safety school during their onboarding, and they also have access to a network of support to make sure they’re taking all the right safety measures for every flight. If an employee sees something amiss during their safety inspection, we stop operations and resolve the issue immediately.

An image of an Amazon Air plane parked outside of an Amazon Air hub. There are various vehicles parked around the plane with employees working on different areas.

Once the aircraft is cleared for departure, employees push the plane back with a super strong vehicle called a pushback tractor. The tractor can lift and push a whopping 250 tons with ease.

An image of an Amazon Air plane parked outside on an air hub. There is a small car pushing the plane back onto the taxiway.

After pushback, the pilot prepares for takeoff to the next destination. An aircraft control team carefully monitors flights to maintain visibility of your packages throughout their air journey.

An image of an Amazon Air plan getting ready for takeoff. It is sitting on the runway in a large field. The plane is white with blue writing that says "Prime Air."

Once the control tower gives the go ahead, the plane takes off, carrying the packages 35,000 feet in the air and on their way to customers’ doorsteps.