Amazon announced on Sunday, September 13, 2026, that it has paused its operations with cargo carrier 21 Air. The decision follows a September 6 incident in which a 21 Air aircraft operating for Amazon Air overran a runway at Miami International Airport, resulting in five deaths and five injuries. Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel stated the company decided to pause operations while reviewing the circumstances surrounding the event and supporting the ongoing investigation.
The incident involved a 32-year-old Boeing 767-300 freighter that overran a runway during landing and struck multiple vehicles on the ground. The flight, designated as Flight 7598, was traveling from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered the flight recorders and reported that evidence suggests the pilots considered aborting the landing after touchdown.
Preliminary NTSB findings indicated that a pilot on the flight flagged the aircraft’s speed as "too fast" just over a minute before touchdown. Investigators noted that despite warnings regarding excessive speed and an altitude alarm, there was no consistent verbal response from the other pilot. The aircraft had previously flown from Cincinnati to Miami and then to San Juan earlier that same day.
21 Air is a Miami-based cargo carrier that provides logistics services for firms including Amazon and DHL. The crash resulted in the deaths of five individuals identified by Miami authorities as Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53; Julio C. Pineda, 75; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47. An additional five people were reported injured. Amazon's cargo logistics network utilizes third-party operators like 21 Air to move goods between hubs.
The aircraft involved was a freighter that had spent 21 years as a passenger jet before being converted. 21 Air Chief Executive Keith Winters stated the company is confident in its safety policies and training while it continues to cooperate with the federal investigation.
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy described the crash site as a scene of "utter devastation." While Amazon has paused its use of 21 Air, a specific end date for this suspension has not been reported. The NTSB will continue to analyze flight data and voice recorders to determine the exact cause of the runway overrun.