San Francisco, Jan 7 (IANS): Amazon has purchased 11 Boeing 767-300 jets from Delta and WestJet, expanding its fleet to continue to serve customers.

The expanded fleet supports Amazon's growing customer base, with the aircraft joining Amazon Air's cargo network in 2021 and 2022, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Amazon Air's fleet expansion comes at a time when customers are relying on fast, free shipping more than ever.

"Our goal is to continue delivering for customers across the U.S. in the way that they expect from Amazon, and purchasing our own aircraft is a natural next step toward that goal," said Sarah Rhoads, Vice President of Amazon Global Air.

"Having a mix of both leased and owned aircraft in our growing fleet allows us to better manage our operations, which, in turn, helps us to keep pace with meeting our customer promises."

The four planes purchased from WestJet in March are currently undergoing passenger-to-cargo conversion and will join Amazon Air's network in 2021.

The seven planes purchased from Delta will enter Amazon's air cargo network in 2022.

These fleet additions will ensure added capacity in Amazon Air's network for years to come.

Amazon said it will continue to rely on third-party carriers to operate these new aircraft.

Since Amazon Air's launch in 2016, Amazon has invested hundreds of millions of dollars and created thousands of new jobs at Amazon Air locations across the U.S.

In 2020, Amazon Air announced its purchase of 6 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel and has already invested in cutting-edge electric ground service equipment and solar rooftop panels planned at some facilities.