Amazon Air Launches Direct Cargo Routes to Northeast India, Connecting Guwahati and Kolkata

Amazon has taken a significant step in expanding its air cargo capabilities by launching dedicated freight services to Northeast India. The e-commerce giant introduced new cargo routes that connect Kolkata and Guwahati, marking a pivotal moment for logistics infrastructure in the region. This expansion is set to dramatically improve delivery speeds and reliability across the northeastern states, while simultaneously strengthening market access for customers and business owners throughout the area.

The first Amazon Air flight to Guwahati was ceremonially flagged off at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. The launch event saw the presence of Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, India's Minister of Civil Aviation, along with senior Amazon executives including Abhinav Singh, Vice President of Operations for India and Australia, and Chetan Krishnaswamy, Vice President of Public Policy for Amazon India.

This strategic expansion aims to bolster delivery connectivity across all seven northeastern states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. Amazon plans to achieve this through its integrated air and surface logistics network, creating a seamless multimodal transportation system.

The company anticipates that by combining dedicated freighter capacity with its existing multimodal transportation infrastructure, transit times will be reduced substantially. Customers across the region can expect delivery speeds to improve by as much as five times compared to previous service levels. This enhanced connectivity will provide customers with access to an extensive range of products, including everyday essentials, smartphones, consumer electronics, fashion items, and beauty products.

The initiative is closely aligned with India's broader national strategy to enhance connectivity and logistics infrastructure in the northeastern region, an area that has historically faced challenges in terms of accessibility and economic integration.

Addressing the launch, Shri Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Minister of Civil Aviation, emphasized the government's commitment to the region. "With Hon'ble Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi Ji's priority focus on the North-East through the vision of 'Act East, Act Fast, Act First', infrastructure and connectivity in the North-Eastern region have grown multifold. Today, every state in the North-East has an airport and the number of operational airports has increased from 9 in 2014 to 16 today. Given the North East's immense potential in horticulture and cargo exports, today's launch of Amazon Air's cargo route from Delhi to Guwahati will further support the farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs of the North-East. The Government has also taken several significant interventions to encourage air cargo growth in the country. In Budget 2026, special emphasis has been placed on building air cargo infrastructure and warehousing capacity to strengthen logistics for perishable and high-value products. Additionally, the value cap on courier exports has been removed which will help boost cross-border e-commerce. And I congratulate Amazon for adding to air freight network of the country with today's milestone launch," he stated.

Regional authorities have also recognized the potential economic impact this development could have on businesses and communities throughout the Northeast. The improved logistics infrastructure is expected to create new opportunities for local entrepreneurs and expand market access for regional businesses.

Dr. Ravi Kota, IAS, Chief Secretary of Assam, highlighted the broader implications of the service launch. "Enhanced logistics connectivity plays a crucial role in empowering local entrepreneurs and expanding market access for businesses and employment across the Northeast. For sellers in the region, the introduction of Amazon Air services to Guwahati will enable enterprises to connect with customers nationwide. Improved fulfillment speeds will allow businesses to reach a wider customer base and participate more meaningfully in India's rapidly growing digital economy, while also bringing the benefits of faster and more reliable deliveries to customers and communities across Assam and the wider Northeast region. Such advancements in logistics infrastructure are also expected to generate substantial employment opportunities for local youth. It is hoped that the operationalization of Amazon Air services will further contribute to job creation and support the overall economic growth of the region," he explained.

For Amazon, this expansion represents a continuation of the company's ongoing investment in logistics infrastructure throughout India since the launch of Amazon.in in 2013. The company has consistently worked to build one of the country's most extensive logistics networks, designed to serve customers regardless of their location.

Abhinav Singh, VP of Operations for India and Australia at Amazon, emphasized the company's long-term vision. "Since launching Amazon.in in 2013, we have consistently invested in building one of India's largest logistics networks to serve customers wherever they live. The expansion of Amazon Air to the Northeast is a natural progression of those investments and reflects our long-term commitment to strengthening connectivity across the country. It also aligns with the Government's focus on improving logistics infrastructure and unlocking economic opportunity in the region. For customers, this means access to Amazon's vast selection at 5x better speeds than before, while sellers and entrepreneurs in the Northeast can now reach customers across India faster and more reliably," he stated.

Amazon Air was launched in India in 2023 and operates a dedicated fleet of narrow-body freighter aircraft specifically designed to support the company's rapidly expanding e-commerce logistics operations. The service currently handles tens of thousands of packages on a daily basis across the country, playing a crucial role in maintaining the speed and reliability that customers have come to expect from the platform.

The overnight network now connects major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Guwahati, and Pune. Through multimodal air-rail connections, the service extends its reach to additional cities across India. When combined with belly cargo partnerships with commercial airlines, Amazon's comprehensive air logistics network now supports more than 100 origin-destination pairs throughout the country.

This latest expansion highlights the increasingly important role that dedicated air cargo networks play in enabling faster e-commerce deliveries. Beyond speed improvements, these networks are proving instrumental in strengthening regional connectivity and creating new economic opportunities for businesses in emerging markets. For the northeastern states, this development represents a significant step forward in integrating the region more fully into India's digital economy, providing local businesses with the tools they need to compete on a national scale while ensuring that customers in the region have access to the same range of products and delivery speeds enjoyed by consumers in more developed areas of the country.