Amazon celebrated the beginning operations at its 2,000-job, $1.5 billion air cargo hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) on Wednesday.
Amazon Air’s new facility will process customer packages, manage daily inbound flights and provide thousands of jobs to the surrounding community. Regular, full-time roles at the Amazon Air Hub will offer average hourly wages of up to $19.50, with comprehensive benefits including medical, vision, dental and a 401(k).
Candace McGraw, CEO at CVG, welcomed the economic growth that will be created by Amazon’s new air cargo hub.
(Photo from CVG)
“CVG is proud to be home to Amazon Air’s primary U.S. air cargo hub,” McGraw said. “We welcome the start of Amazon Air’s operation from their new state-of-the-art facility and are pleased to partner with Amazon as this hub brings additional flights, economic growth and innovation to our region.”
Amazon’s start of operations and planned job creation further propel the Commonwealth’s recent economic momentum.
Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore said Amazon’s activity at CVG played an important economic role throughout the pandemic and is helping Northern Kentucky’s economy recover.
“The building of the air hub provided hundreds of high skilled construction jobs throughout the pandemic,” Judge/Executive Moore said. “The Amazon Air Hub at CVG helps the airport diversify its business model by strengthening its cargo revenues thus complimenting its passenger operations. A stronger CVG enhances the region’s overall economic vitality.”
Gov. Andy Beshear said the $1.5 billion facility cements Kentucky’s role as a top U.S. location for distribution and logistics, a major industry moving the commonwealth’s economy forward.
“The Amazon Air cargo hub at CVG going live will make Kentucky the undisputed national leader in air cargo,” Gov. Beshear said. “In addition to creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs, this hub puts Kentucky at the center of Amazon’s U.S. distribution air cargo network. Across the coming years, Amazon Air will help attract more manufacturers, service providers and tech companies to Kentucky seeking to take similar advantage of our key geographic location. Congratulations and thanks to Amazon for this monumental investment in our state and workforce. We look forward to continuing the commonwealth’s longstanding and successful partnership with Amazon for decades to come.”
The Amazon Air Hub adds to Kentucky’s thriving logistics and distribution industry, which employs nearly 80,000 people at 590 facilities statewide. In what was already a rapidly growing sector, online ordering throughout the pandemic supercharged demand, giving logistics and distribution companies opportunities to expand. In the past 12 months, logistics and distribution companies committed to creating nearly 2,000 full-time, Kentucky-resident jobs over the coming years with 34 facility expansions and new-location projects statewide. Those projects include nearly $285 million in private-sector investment in the Commonwealth.
Northern Kentucky Tri-ED CEO Lee Crume said the Amazon Air Hub will be a tech-driver and attract new businesses to Northern Kentucky.
“Amazon is an innovator at its core – in ecommerce, in delivery and in sustainability – these qualities are exemplified and embraced in the Cincinnati region,” Crume said. “The Amazon Air Hub will anchor innovation and innovative supply chain companies in the Midwest – in Northern Kentucky – as the hub’s operations take off.”
Kentucky’s geographic location puts it at the confluence of the Northeast, Midwest and South, giving shippers proximity to key populations and centers of international commerce. Within 600 miles of Kentucky’s borders, shippers can reach more than two-thirds of the nation’s population, personal income and manufacturing operations. Kentucky’s three global air cargo hubs – UPS, DHL and Amazon Air – located at the state’s two international airports – CVG and Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport – provide businesses a fast and reliable global reach.
Governor’s Office
