Amazon has suspended operations with cargo carrier 21 Air following a fatal Boeing 767 cargo crash at Miami International Airport, as US investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The aircraft, operated by 21 Air on behalf of Amazon Air, overran Runway 30 while landing at Miami International Airport on September 6 and struck vehicles beyond the runway. Five people on the ground were killed and five others were injured.
Amazon confirmed on September 13 that it had decided to pause its operations with the carrier after reviewing the circumstances surrounding the accident.
“Safety has always been our top priority, whether in our own operations or when we’re working with partners,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said.
Amazon added that it would continue supporting the investigation and those affected by the accident.
The accident involved 21 Air Flight 7598, a Boeing 767-33A cargo aircraft operating from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami.
The aircraft was flying as part of Amazon’s dedicated air-cargo network when the accident occurred.
Amazon Air relies on third-party cargo airlines to operate aircraft carrying packages between fulfillment and sorting hubs across its logistics network. 21 Air is one of the carriers that has operated flights on Amazon’s behalf.
Reuters reports that the Boeing 767 involved in the crash had originally operated as a passenger aircraft between 1994 and 2015 before being converted for cargo operations.
The Miami flight was reportedly the aircraft’s third flight of the day.
Amazon did not immediately suspend its relationship with 21 Air after the crash.
Instead, the company initially focused on supporting investigators and those affected.
On September 13, Amazon confirmed that it had conducted its own review and decided to halt operations with the carrier.
The company said:
“After the tragic incident last weekend, we’ve spent time supporting the investigation and reviewing some of the surrounding circumstances, and we’ve decided to pause our operations with 21 Air, the operator of Flight 7598.”
Amazon has not said how long the suspension will remain in place or whether the relationship with 21 Air will ultimately resume.
The US National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation.
The NTSB recovered both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder and successfully downloaded information from the devices.
The agency has stressed that its findings remain preliminary and subject to change.
Early recorder data indicates that the aircraft approached the runway at high speed.
According to the NTSB, one pilot repeatedly commented on the aircraft’s excessive speed during the final stages of the approach.
Automated warnings heard on the cockpit voice recorder included:
The aircraft touched down at a recorded groundspeed of approximately 158 knots.
The recorded data also indicates that the crew initiated what appeared to be a go-around attempt after touchdown, with engine throttles increased before subsequently returning to idle.
The NTSB reported that there was no indication in the recorded data that the aircraft’s speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed before the end of the recording.
These findings do not establish the cause of the crash.
The investigation remains active, and the NTSB has not issued a final determination regarding responsibility or contributing factors.
According to preliminary information reported by Reuters, the aircraft continued approximately 1,300 feet beyond the runway before striking vehicles outside the airport area.
Five people on the ground were killed.
The aircraft's two pilots survived the accident and were treated following the crash.
The NTSB deployed a large investigative team to Miami to examine the aircraft, flight operations, crew actions, airport infrastructure and other potential factors.
Investigators are also examining the runway environment and the absence of an Engineered Materials Arresting System at the relevant runway end.
The suspension is significant because Amazon Air has become an increasingly important part of Amazon’s vertically integrated logistics strategy.
Rather than relying exclusively on traditional parcel carriers, Amazon has spent years building its own transportation infrastructure covering:
Amazon Air connects major distribution hubs and allows inventory to move quickly between different regions.
The system plays an especially important role in supporting fast delivery promises by reducing Amazon’s dependence on external air-freight networks.
Amazon does not generally operate most of these aircraft itself.
Instead, contracted airlines operate planes dedicated to Amazon’s network.
This makes partner-carrier safety and operational oversight an important component of the wider Amazon logistics system.
Amazon Air has grown considerably since the company began building its air network in the middle of the last decade.
The operation uses a combination of Boeing 767s and other cargo aircraft flown by contracted operators.
This model allows Amazon to control capacity and flight schedules without becoming a conventional airline itself.
However, it also means that the performance and safety of partner airlines can directly affect Amazon’s logistics operations.
The decision to suspend 21 Air demonstrates the level of scrutiny Amazon is applying to contracted aviation partners following the Miami accident.
It also raises questions about how quickly Amazon can replace capacity if an individual carrier is removed from the network.
Amazon has not announced any broad disruption to customer deliveries as a result of the suspension.
Its air network includes multiple aircraft operators and distribution hubs, meaning cargo can potentially be reassigned to other flights and carriers.
The scale of Amazon’s wider logistics system also provides flexibility through alternative ground and air routes.
Nevertheless, any prolonged suspension of an operating partner can require capacity to be redistributed across the network.
The effect will depend partly on how many flights and aircraft 21 Air had been operating for Amazon and how quickly alternative capacity can be arranged.
Amazon has not disclosed those details.
The accident has also placed renewed attention on safety within the rapidly expanding cargo aviation sector.
E-commerce growth has increased demand for overnight and time-sensitive air freight, particularly within networks operated by Amazon, FedEx, UPS and major logistics companies.
Cargo aircraft often operate intensive schedules with overnight flights and rapid aircraft turnarounds.
That makes maintenance, training, crew procedures and operational oversight critical.
The Miami accident is likely to receive significant scrutiny because it involved an aircraft operating within one of the world's most sophisticated e-commerce logistics networks.
However, no conclusions should be drawn about the broader safety of Amazon Air or 21 Air until the investigation is complete.
The preliminary NTSB information provides important details about the final moments of the flight.
The cockpit recording indicates that one pilot raised concerns about the aircraft's speed during the approach.
The flight data recorder also shows that the aircraft touched down at high speed before braking was applied.
The aircraft subsequently attempted what appears to have been a go-around after touchdown.
These details will form part of a much wider investigation into:
The NTSB investigation could take many months before a final report and probable cause determination are issued.
Amazon initially described the loss of life as weighing heavily on the company and said it was fully committed to cooperating with authorities.
Following its decision to pause 21 Air operations, Amazon reiterated that it would continue supporting the investigation.
21 Air has also said it is cooperating with investigators.
For Amazon, the immediate challenge is likely to be maintaining logistics continuity while investigators examine both the accident itself and the operational circumstances surrounding the flight.
Amazon has invested heavily in bringing more of its logistics operations under its own control.
That strategy has helped the company shorten delivery times and reduce dependence on conventional parcel carriers.
But increased control also brings greater responsibility.
The more Amazon relies on dedicated aircraft, warehouses, delivery fleets and contracted operators working specifically within its logistics ecosystem, the more operational performance across those networks becomes directly associated with Amazon itself.
The Miami crash therefore represents more than an aviation accident involving a third-party cargo airline.
It is also a serious test of the partner-management and safety systems supporting Amazon’s increasingly integrated logistics infrastructure.
Amazon has responded by suspending operations with 21 Air while investigators continue their work.
Whether that suspension becomes permanent will likely depend on what the NTSB and other authorities ultimately determine.
For now, the most important fact remains that the investigation is ongoing, and the preliminary recorder data should not be interpreted as a final conclusion about the cause of the accident.
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