Amazon operation helps grow Wilmington company

The Dayton Daily News recently got the first look at Air Transport Services Group’s operations at Wilmington Air Park since the company’s head-turning announcement last month.

That announcement revealed that online giant Amazon is positioned to become not only Air Transport Services Group’s (ATSG) most important customer but a part-owner.

The company also focused on what hasn’t changed: Moving cargo and fixing airplanes for longtime customers like DHL, Delta, the Department of Defense and others.

In fact, DHL leases 16 airplanes from ATSG, 10 more than Amazon at the moment.

But Amazon is a household name and a potential co-owner. Amazon has warrants to buy up to 19.9 percent of ATSG stock over the next five years in the wake of an agreement for the online retailer to lease 20 Boeing 767 wide-body freighter airplanes from ATSG.

The airplanes — Hete calls the 767 the “key” to his company’s survival — will be operated by ATSG airlines ABX Air and Air Transport International.

“From our standpoint, knock on wood, the E-commerce sector growth is playing into our sweet spot,” Hete said.

Read more in Sunday’s Dayton Daily News.

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