Amazon announced Sunday it is pausing operations with 21 Air, the cargo carrier that operated the aircraft for Amazon Air which crashed in Miami last weekend, killing five people. The e-commerce giant is supporting the ongoing investigation into the incident.
“After the tragic incident last weekend, we’ve spent time supporting the investigation and reviewing some of the surrounding circumstances, and we’ve decided to pause our operations with 21 Air, the operator of Flight 7598,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement to Reuters.
The cargo flight, operated by 21 Air for Amazon’s logistics network, overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport last weekend. The aircraft struck multiple vehicles on the ground, officials said.
The 32-year-old Boeing 767-300 freighter had previously operated as a passenger jet from 1994 to 2015, according to flight tracking service Flightradar24.
Evidence from the flight data recorder indicates that the pilots considered aborting the landing after the aircraft touched down, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated last week. The NTSB also reported that one pilot cautioned they were flying “too fast” just over a minute before touchdown.
The plane had completed two previous flights earlier that day, traveling from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami, and then from Cincinnati to Miami before its final leg from Miami to San Juan, which ended in the crash.
21 Air released a statement emphasizing its focus on supporting the families of those impacted by the accident and its cooperation with the NTSB and its partners, including Amazon. “We are confident in our safety policies, procedures and training,” the company said.