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Inside the Boeing 737 That Will Fly Your Amazon Packages Around the US

June 19, 2019
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2 min read
Amazon Prime Air 737 Tour ZH
Inside the Boeing 737 That Will Fly Your Amazon Packages Around the US
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We typically focus our air show efforts on bringing you tours of the latest and greatest airliners and private jets, but occasionally we like to throw an exciting cargo craft into the mix. Amazon's Prime Air 737 certainly fits the bill.

Following more than 14 years of flying passengers around India for now-defunct Jet Airways, N855DM, a Boeing 737-800, has entered the next stage of its life as an Amazon Prime Air freighter.

The aircraft just completed a retrofit process in China, where the passenger cabin was removed and replaced with full-fuselage cargo storage, along with a huge fold-up loading door.

Following its stint at the 2019 Paris Air Show, N855DM will fly to the United States, where it will begin operating cargo flights on behalf of Amazon's Prime Air. This will be the fourth converted 737 to enter Amazon's fleet.

Atlas Air subsidiary Southern Air is expected to fly Amazon's leased fleet of Boeing 737-800s. Overall, the retail giant plans to have 15 of these repurposed planes flying soon.

A Boeing representative at the show quoted a list price of $5 million to convert a 737 from passenger use to freight. That's in addition to the cost of acquiring an aircraft, which is typically up to the new owner to sort out.

The retrofit process takes about 90 days from start to finish, though aircraft acquisition and document preparation are handled before the plane is handed over to Boeing.

The 737 conversion program is new to Boeing — the company started delivering retrofitted aircraft just a year ago, with 12 narrow-body planes having completed the process so far. Seventeen are expected to be delivered in 2019, 21 in 2020 and even more as airlines continue to retire aging 737s in the years to come.

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.