Amazon is pausing its partnership with 21 Air, the cargo operator behind a Prime Air jet that ran off the runway at Miami International Airport last week and struck a van, killing five people. The move follows the emergence of multiple safety complaints involving the carrier.
The company confirmed the temporary suspension to NBC News, saying it came after Amazon considered both the investigation into the fatal Sept. 6 crash and “some of the surrounding circumstances” surrounding the incident.
“Following the tragic incident last weekend, we’ve focused on supporting the investigation while reviewing some of the surrounding circumstances,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said. “As a result, we’ve decided to pause our operations with 21 Air, the operator of Flight 7598.”
Amazon said it is working with alternative cargo carriers to maintain deliveries affected by the suspension. Those companies include Sun Country Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Air Transport International, ABX Air, ASL Airlines and Cargojet.
Prime Air Flight 7598 crashed after the 21 Air-operated jet veered beyond the runway at Miami International Airport, hit several vehicles and caught fire.
Five members of a cleaning crew were killed when the cargo plane struck their van, while five others were injured, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. Both pilots survived and suffered minor injuries.
The chief executive of 21 Air said he was “devastated” by the crash and expressed sympathy to the victims’ families and loved ones.
Amazon’s decision comes after former 21 Air pilots raised concerns about the North Carolina-based carrier’s safety record. The company is controlled through an LLC by Jim Crane, owner of Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros.
Former 21 Air pilot Karl Seuring, who has filed a legal complaint against the company, told CBS News that the carrier had “a long-established history of safety problems.”
Tony Bless, another retired 21 Air pilot, said the crash was not unexpected among some former employees. He pointed to longstanding worries over aircraft maintenance, the experience of pilots hired by the company and pressure from management.
“It’s something a lot of us ex-21 Air pilots have been anticipating for a while,” Bless said.
21 Air had not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication.
