Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Amazon&nbsp;on Wednesday began operations from its new air hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport&nbsp;after more than four years of planning and construction. The&nbsp;operation will serve as the central hub for&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;Air’s&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;cargo network.

 


The $1.5 billion investment included a new ramp for aircraft parking and an 800,000-square-foot sorting facility situated on a 600-acre campus. Amazon Air&nbsp;has expanded its presence in the&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;to more than 40 locations and launched its European air hub in 2020 at Germany’s&nbsp;Leipzig/Halle Airport.

 


In January, Amazon bought seven Boeing 767-300s from Delta Air Lines and four from Canada’s WestJet as it moved to expand its air transport network to meet surging demand during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond. These deals marked the online retailer’s first direct aircraft purchases. The four former WestJet aircraft, which underwent passenger-to-cargo conversion, have joined Amazon’s network and the ex-Delta jets will begin flying freight for the online retailer in 2022, the company added. All will fly for third-party carriers.

 


Amazon launched its air transport subsidiary as a means to circumvent and compete against freight giants such as UPS and FedEx Express in 2016, when it signed a seven-year lease deal covering 20 Boeing 767s with Delaware-based air cargo service provider ATSG. Company subsidiaries ABX Air, a Part 121 cargo airline, and charter carrier Air Transport International, operate the airplanes for Amazon. That same year Atlas Air Worldwide signed a deal with Amazon to fly 20 Boeing 767-300s for the online retailer under a 10-year lease deal that grants Amazon rights to acquire as much as 30 percent of the cargo carrier.&nbsp;

 


Amazon’s contract carriers now fly a total of 73 airplanes, including 22 Boeing 737-800BCFs.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Amazon Opens Cincinnati Air Freight Hub

After four years of planning and construction, Amazon Air’s Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport hub opens for business.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Joseph Carfagna Jr.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Certainty benefits the preowned business aircraft market

AINsight: Election Results and the Fence

Kerry Lynch

Ultra-long-range model has amassed 75 records, many from customer trips

Speed Records Abound for Bombardier's Global 7500

We talk through the process from conception to delivery

Flying Privately: How Aircraft Like the Bombardier Global 8000 Come to Life

Hanneke Weitering

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

AltiSky will assemble, sell, and service VoltAero's aircraft

VoltAero Picks U.S. Distributor for Cassio Hybrid-electric Aircraft 

Jennifer Leach English

Company noncommittal on expanding its lineup upwards, citing $1B investment cost

Embraer’s Plans for a Larger Bizjet Remain Up in the Air

Operations ebbed, backlogs were steady, and available aircraft increased

GJC: Bizjet Market Continues To Stabilize in 3Q2024

Greenville-based charter operator pre-orders 10 eVTOL air taxis

SAI Flight To Operate SkyDrive eVTOL in South Carolina

Charles Alcock

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

More In Aircraft