- Amazon Air’s $1.5 billion CVG superhub has created more than 4,000 jobs
- Company leaders called the Northern Kentucky facility the “crown jewel” of Amazon Air
- Amazon marked the hub’s fifth anniversary by donating $100,000 to Northern Kentucky nonprofits
Amazon Air is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its North American Superhub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, the company’s largest field operations facility on Earth.
In 2019, former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made a surprise visit to the site for the superhub’s groundbreaking, promising that the forthcoming complex would create 2,000 jobs and cut average Amazon Prime delivery times from two days to one.
Two years later, Amazon Air cut the ribbon on its $1.5 billion cargo facility on the CVG campus in Hebron. Today, the 800,000-square-foot facility has created more than 4,000 local jobs — double Bezos’ goal — processed more than 1.5 billion packages, and supports more than three dozen daily Prime Air flights. Over 1,300 associates report to Amazon’s CVG campus daily.
To commemorate the anniversary, Amazon hosted a celebration for its employees outside the facility on Aug. 5, featuring a cover band, food, games and speeches from executives.
Amazon’s Director of Operations at CVG, Mike Berg, declared that Amazon has invested more than $30 billion in Boone County since the superhub project was announced.
“That’s the ripple effect in action, not just for Amazon, but for every business, every family, and every community that benefits when this operation of scale puts down roots and stays committed to the local community,” Berg said. “And what makes all this possible? This growth, this innovation, this impact on sellers and customers … is the incredible people of this building and the community that surrounds it.”
Berg described Amazon’s CVG superhub as the “crown jewel” of the company’s air division, as its scale has a disproportionate impact on the company’s global operations.
“This is the crown jewel of Amazon Air, and this is the most prominent, largest operation we have in the entire world, located right here in Northern Kentucky,” Berg told LINK nky. “What makes it different is the size, the scale, the amount of impact that we’re able to have because of this.”
Amazon’s Vice President of Global Air, Raoul Sreenivasan, corroborated Berg’s assessment, stating that the technology and operational systems developed at CVG have helped shape Amazon Air’s broader network.
“We have hubs around the country powered by Amazon robotics tools,” Sreenivasan said. “We have tech systems that were built in-house, all to safely deliver that speed and reliability to our customers every single day, and CVG is a key part of that. Without this building, the Amazon Air Network would not be what it is today.”
During the event, Amazon also donated $100,000 to regional charities, including $50,000 to the Life Learning Center and another $50,000 to various organizations across Northern Kentucky such as the Ion Center, DCCH Center for Children and Families, Go Pantry, Northern Kentucky Harvest, and Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky, among others.
More broadly, Amazon Air’s presence at CVG has helped restore the airport’s reputation after Delta Air Lines began decoupling from its regional passenger hub following the company’s bankruptcy in 2005. Delta’s gradual dehubbing led to fewer daily flights and the loss of thousands of regional jobs.
Amazon’s long-term commitment has helped reposition the airport as a worldwide cargo hub. Coupled with DHL’s presence, the airport has become a logistics powerhouse, enticing numerous aviation, aerospace and logistics firms to set up shop in the region. Moreover, the company has helped generate billions in development for Northern Kentucky’s economy as a whole.
