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21 Air

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21 Air
Official logo of 21 Air
IATA ICAO Call sign
2I CSB CARGO SOUTH
FoundedFebruary 25, 2014;
12 years ago (2014-02-25)
AOC #21GA896P[1]
Operating bases
Fleet size22
Parent companyAvia Acquisitions, LLC[2]
HeadquartersGreensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Key people
Website21air.us Edit this at Wikidata

21 Air, LLC is an all-cargo airline of the United States headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina.[4][3] The airline operates ACMI charters with a fleet of Boeing 757s and 767s.[5]

History

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21 Air was founded on February 25, 2014, as a virtual airline operating under Dynamic Airways' air operator's certificate.[6][7] It was founded by Adolfo Moreno, who formerly operated an air cargo brokerage firm in Miami.[8] In 2015, the company had revenues of US$12.6 million. 21 Air began operating under its own air operator's certificate in the summer of 2016, initially operating two Boeing 767 freighter aircraft.[9]

In early 2019, 21 Air operated a series of cargo flights from the United States to Venezuela. Venezuelan authorities reported that the cargo on one of the flights arriving in Valencia included a crate of military equipment, which held guns, radio equipment, and ammunition. The origin and purpose of the weapons were not clear.[10][11]

21 Air began operating services on behalf of DHL Aviation in 2020.[12] The airline began operating flights for Amazon Air in 2024, with a fleet of Boeing 767 aircraft. The initial fleet of seven aircraft were leased by Amazon from Titan Aviation, which contracted 21 Air to operate them. The aircraft were formerly operated by Titan's sibling company Atlas Air.[4]

The airline changed ownership in 2021, with a 25% stake acquired by Canadian cargo airline Cargojet, and a controlling stake held by logistics industry veteran Jim Crane. Crane, who also owns the Houston Astros baseball team, was formerly chair of Cargojet's board of directors.[13]

Former Amerijet International CEO Tim Strauss served as CEO of the airline from 2024 through early 2026. He was replaced by Keith Winters, a longtime associate of Crane.[8] In April 2026, Cargojet sold its 25% shares of 21 Air in order to focus on its own operations.[2] Both airlines continue to operate on "select commercial opportunities".[14]

Following the crash of Flight 7598, an Amazon cargo flight to Miami, in September 2026, industry observers raised concerns about the safety culture of the airline, which was the subject of a whistleblower lawsuit.[15] On September 14, an Amazon spokesperson said that the company had decided to pause its operations with 21 Air.[15][16][17][needs update]

Destinations

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21 Air operates scheduled cargo services between the United States and Mexico.[18][19] The airline began operating services to the Dominican Republic and Colombia for Amazon Air in 2025.[20][21]

On September 14, 2026, Amazon suspended 21 Air's Amazon Air operations, revoking their ability to haul Amazon packages, following the crash of Flight 7598.[22]

Fleet

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As of September 2026, 21 Air operated 13 Boeing 767 and 5 Boeing 757 aircraft, some leased from DHL or Amazon affiliates.[23]

Earlier aircraft details:[24]

Aircraft In service Notes
Boeing 757-200PCF[25] 6 (in 2025) Operating for DHL Aviation[2]
Boeing 767-200BDSF 2 (in 2021) One operating for DHL Aviation[26]
Boeing 767-300BCF 14[when?] Operating for DHL Aviation, and LATAM Cargo Colombia[citation needed]

The airline previously used a single passenger Airbus A330-200 as an auxiliary freighter on a sub-service basis.[4]

Accidents and incidents

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "21 Air, LLC Homepage". Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Eric Kulisch (April 1, 2026). "Canada's Cargojet plays role in CEO exit at Amazon partner 21 Air". Freightwaves.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2026. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "21 Air on ch-aviation". ch-aviation. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Kulisch, Eric (October 8, 2020). "21 Air gets creative, adds capacity with passenger freighter". FreightWaves. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  5. ↑ Kulisch, Eric (November 18, 2024). "21 Air makes debut cargo flight for Amazon". FreightWaves. Archived from the original on July 8, 2025. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  6. ↑ "21 Air Airline Profile". centreforaviation.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  7. ↑ "About Us". 21Air. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  8. 1 2 Kulisch, Eric (November 18, 2024). "Former Amerijet boss resurfaces as CEO of cargo airline 21 Air". FreightWaves. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  9. ↑ "21 Air ready for take-off". FreightWaves. August 2, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  10. ↑ Johnson, Tim (February 7, 2019). "Venezuela says plane from Miami delivered weapons for use by enemies of Maduro". McClatchy Washington Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  11. ↑ Vassolo, Martin; Johnson, Tim; Ovalle, David (February 9, 2019). "Air charter firm, client both deny role in alleged shipment of arms to Venezuela". McClatchy Washington Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  12. ↑ Nadalet, Ivan (July 31, 2020). "North Carolina's 21 Air secures DHL contract". ch-aviation. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  13. ↑ Kulisch, Eric (April 2, 2026). "21 Air eyes larger Boeing 777s to access long-haul cargo market". FreightWaves. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  14. ↑ Dominik Sipinski (April 3, 2026). "Canada's Cargojet to divest minority stake in US's 21 Air". Ch-aviation.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2026. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  15. 1 2 Rose, Joel (September 12, 2026). "Miami crash raises concerns about the jet's operator, and why it's flying for Amazon". NPR. Retrieved September 18, 2026. Updated September 14, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Amazon halts use of 21 Air after plane overshot Miami runway in deadly crash". CBS News. September 14, 2026. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
  17. ↑ Funk, Josh (September 14, 2026). "Amazon suspends use of 21 Air, the cargo carrier whose plane careened off Miami runway and killed 5". Associated Press. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
  18. ↑ "21 Air authorized for U.S.-Mexico loop". FreightWaves. August 10, 2019. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  19. ↑ "21 Air to begin US-Mexico cargo ops". Air Cargo World. August 9, 2019. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  20. ↑ Kulisch, Eric (June 17, 2025). "Amazon launches dedicated cargo service to Colombia with 21 Air". FreightWaves. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  21. ↑ Kulisch, Eric (September 5, 2025). "Amazon Air extends third-party cargo service to Dominican Republic". FreightWaves. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Amazon suspends use of 21 Air, cargo carrier whose plane careened off Miami runway". NPR. Retrieved September 15, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Amazon suspends use of 21 Air, the cargo carrier whose plane careened off Miami runway and killed 5". AP. September 14, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Global Airline Guide 2025 - 21 Air". Airliner World. September 2025. p. 79.
  25. ↑ Lee, Jeff (October 29, 2025). "21 Air to expand CMI fleet with 757s". CARGOFACTS. Archived from the original on November 11, 2025. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  26. ↑ "North Carolina's 21 Air adds first B767-200(BDSF) for DHL". Ch-aviation. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  27. ↑ "At least 5 dead, 5 injured after cargo plane overruns runway, strikes multiple vehicles near MIA". WSVN-TV. September 6, 2026. Archived from the original on September 6, 2026. Retrieved September 6, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Video appears to show crashed Amazon plane on runway in Miami". NBC10 Boston. September 6, 2026. Retrieved September 6, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Prime Air 767 cargo aircraft overruns runway in Miami, striking multiple vehicles". CNN. September 6, 2026. Archived from the original on September 6, 2026. Retrieved September 6, 2026.
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