Project Alpha and its $450 million in economic impact stirred rumors that Amazon Air could be circlingTallahassee International Airport.
Another company,North American Aerospace Industries, was later revealed as the mysterious business– one that couldgenerate more than 900 new jobs for the capital city as the North Carolina-based recycler of aircraft partsexpands its operations in the U.S. market.
But, for more than year, Tallahassee has been working to pindown a dealwith Amazon Air.
Records obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat showa series of email exchanges, visits and calls with Amazon officials and show just how eager the city was to land the cargo airline service for the world's largest online retailer.
The last email, dated March 3, 2022, shows Amazon Air isn't looking to make a move just yet, despite the company's documented expansion plans in larger markets.
Will Cowsert, who oversees economic development for Amazon Air, responded to a follow-up email sent byVictoria Maleszewski, Tallahassee airport's properties and development manager.
"Thanks for reaching out," Cowsert wrote. "We do not have any updates to share. We will make sure to follow up if that changes or if we have new network needs in the region."
For now, even though Amazon has two facilities in theworksin Tallahassee – a fulfillment center and a last mile facility–anything by air won't take off any time soon.
Amazon meets Tallahassee:
- Amazon Primer: A Tallahassee jobseekers guide to landing a job in the coming hiring blitz
- Amazon fulfillment center predicted to squeeze strained Tallahassee housing market
- 'Going fast': Massive Tallahassee construction zone as Amazon fulfillment center takes shape
What are Tallahassee's chances of landing Amazon Air?
In other cities throughout the nation, Amazon Air is growing its operation and creating regional hubs.
It first launched five years ago as Amazon Prime Air and later changed its name to Amazon Air. In2020, according to the company, Amazon Air launched new gateway operations in several cities, including Richmond, Virginia, Austin, Texas and New Orleans.
Regional hubs were also introduced to its airline cargo network, which includes Lakeland in Florida.
But, for Tallahassee, Amazon Air could one day bea reality, saidJoseph Schwieterman, professor of Public Service Management at the Chaddick Institute at DePaul University in Chicago.
“Amazon (Air) is methodically filling gaps in its network. There’s a big void between New Orleans and Tampa that it will want to see filled,” saidSchwierterman, who helped writean independent review of the company's growth called "Primed and Positioned, Strategic Moves by Amazon Air."
Schwierterman saidTallahassee is "probably the most logical choice, but the carrier often moves in unpredictable ways.”
Amazon Air, he said,prefers uncongested airports with “elbow room to expand,” adding Tallahassee has less development pressure at its airport compared to, for example, Pensacola International Airport.Although, he added either airports could be a viable option.
Schwieterman said the company spent the time between March and early September 2021filling its network. He said 72% of the country is now within 100 milesof an Amazon Air facility, adding “that’sbig.”
A year ago, that figure was 60% of the country and barely a blip on the radar before that.
The company, he said, often launches operations at small cargo-oriented airports, such as the one in Lakeland, roughly 265 miles from Tallahassee.
“There are few options in the Panhandle that have the runway specifications to give them the flexibility they need,” said Schwieterman, referring to Tallahassee, Pensacola and some areas in southern Alabama.
Amazon Air's websitesaysits regional facilities help support the company'sair operations, "which help enable fast, free package delivery for Prime customers."
"Our hubs and gateways process volume from the Amazon Fulfillment Centers, load and depart aircraft, arrive and offload aircraft, and process and depart the volume on linehaul for Last Mile delivery. Amazon Air has operations at more than 35 airports across the U.S., making two-day shipping possible almost anywhere in the country."
However, the company's rapid growth has shown signs of slowing down in the last few months, Schwieterman said.
"The slowdown has chilled the airline's appetite for fast growth," he said. "That doesn't mean they're not going to continue to grow and fill the gaps in their network."
City eager to 'satisfy your long-term goals'
From June 2021 to March of this year, email exchanges between Amazon Air and the city show the company didn't shoot Tallahassee down right away.
A July 13, 2021, email from Sam Blatt, Amazon's economic development policy manager— the man charged with ensuringTallahassee's new fulfillment centerunder construction is moving forward—said he passed along information about Tallahassee's airport.
"Hello TLH Team," Blatt wrote. "Just wanted to let you know I’ve briefed Will (Cowsert) on TLH and its opportunities. He has passed along this information to the Amazon Air team for further evaluation. I will let you all know what feedback we receive. Thank you."
The same day, Tallahassee Airport Aviation Director David Pollard responded.
"That’s great to hear Sam!," Pollard wrote. "As we discussed, we are well positioned to get the Amazon Air Team up and operating very quickly, if desired, to meet your immediate needs and can then work on a longer term strategy to develop a more tailored solution to better align with your long-term goals and objectives."
City officials identified the airport's north ramp as a location contender for Amazon Air and provided several documents and graphics to support the case, records show.
It could serve a smaller air fleet and operation, but also had the flexibility to sustain necessaryinfrastructure for a new Amazon Air facility "to satisfy your long-term goals,"Maleszewski wrote, in an Aug. 26, 2021email.
The quick-start facility, she wrote,has both ramp and runway access. It also has about 8,600 square feet, five truck bays and "sufficient parking for trucks and employees."
'We are open arms to them'
Landing Amazon Air would be a major score toward the airport's master plan and lofty goals of reaching a $1 billion economic impact by 2024.By the same year, the airport has a goal of transporting 22 million pounds in total cargo per year, along with one million total passengers.
International reach:Airport's International Processing Facility to bring unseen global access to capital city
A $28-millionInternational Processing Facility is under construction and slated to be complete by 2024. Once complete, after 10 years of planning, it will beone of the most vital projects in the airport's recent history and could allow direct international travel tospecific markets.
Tallahassee City Manager Reese Goad confirmed the city connected with Amazon numerous times and "they know we are open arms to them for Amazon Air."
He said an Amazon Air facility at the city's airport can support its fulfillment center under construction in the county, located on Mahan Drive near Interstate-10.
"We have ample capacity and a plan to accommodate a location and, of course, the airport and its general access," Goad said. "We wanted to make sure they knew that, and we provided them with information that could be helpful to them."
Goad said the airport's location could be an attractive consideration for the company's strategic planning to move goods in and out of the region.
If Tallahassee landed Amazon Air, Goad said the company would further cement the airport as a major economic development driver for the region.
"I think, often times, we think of our airport only as the ability to get on a plane and travel somewhere else, but we know it's an economic tool," Goad said. "Amazon would play right into that strategy to increase the number of jobs, aeronautical related jobs and a good use of capacity at the airport."
Contact TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com or follow @TaMarynWaters on Twitter.
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