2月1日消息，亚马逊本周二宣布将在肯塔基州开建其第一个航空货运中心，以应对高速增长的航空货运需求。亚马逊预计，该项目将带来2000个工作岗位。
据悉，该项计划总投入约为15亿美元，亚马逊或可从当地政府获得4000万美元的税收激励。但亚马逊方面尚未透露项目的相关文件审批进度。值得一提的是，全世界最大的物流中转中心UPS世界港以及FedEx最大的包裹分检中心均在肯塔基州境内。
有知情人士表示，亚马逊的这一措施将减少其对UPS和FedEx等传统货运巨头的依赖，未来有望成为他们的直接竞争对手。
去年，亚马逊与两家航空公司达成协议，租赁40架专用货机，以增强其货运能力。截至目前，其中16架飞机已经交付并提供使用。亚马逊方面在公开场合表示，租赁飞机只是为了加快运输效率，以及在节日期间支援货物伙伴，解决货运负担。因为，FedEx和UPS近几年都在圣诞节延迟交货了。
亚马逊首席执行官杰夫·贝索斯也曾称，亚马逊并不打算与UPS直接竞争。
资料显示，亚马逊一直是肯塔基州的活跃投资者。近20年来，亚马逊在该州设立的11个服务中心地点雇用了超过10,000名全职工作。除飞机之外，亚马逊还同时开始涉足远洋货运领域。在今年早些时候，亚马逊曾宣布称，将在未来18个月内，向美国提供超过10万个就业岗位。
By Jeffrey Dastin
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc plans to invest $1.49 billion to build a large air cargo hub in northern Kentucky, state officials said on Tuesday, stoking expectations it may one day opt to directly compete with FedEx Corp and United Parcel Service Inc.
The world's biggest online retailer has agreed to a 50-year lease for about 900 acres of property from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport - close in size to the global hubs of top cargo airlines.
Amazon is handling more shipping in-house so it can deliver packages to customers faster, as well as cut costs and uncertainty associated with relying on third parties. It has said its moves are designed to supplement, not replace cargo carriers.
Analysts suspect it has larger ambitions.
"We estimate a $400 billion-plus market opportunity for Amazon in delivery, freight forwarding, and contract logistics," Colin Sebastian, an analyst for Baird Equity Research, said in a note to clients.
Amazon, which has not announced a start date for the hub, said it expects to create more than 2,000 jobs when the site opens.
The northern Kentucky location - not far from UPS's major hub - puts Amazon's aircraft in shooting distance of top cities. The company said last year it would lease 40 Boeing Co 767 planes, 16 of which are currently in service.
It also lets Amazon's trucks reach 11 fulfillment centers in state. And a large operation of Deutsche Post DHL there lets Amazon transfer packages easily abroad, said Brian Clancy, managing director of advisory firm Logistics Capital & Strategy LLC.
As part of the investment, Amazon anticipates it will spend nearly $462 million on building and improvements over an unspecified number of years, according to a report by the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority.
The authority's board tentatively approved $40 million in tax incentives for Amazon over ten years if it meets hiring commitments, with average wages including benefits targeted at $26 per hour, the report said.
So far, Amazon has loaded its aircraft with big but lightweight boxes, according to data reviewed by Reuters and interviews with airport officials around the United States. This has helped it dodge fees from cargo partners, which are increasingly pricing by volume rather than weight.
Amazon's new site compares with about 1,220 acres UPS has in Louisville. FedEx has more than 900 in its Memphis hub, a 2010 airport plan showed.
(Reporting by Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)