Amazon
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – Amazon Inc. will be shuttering its sorting facility at March Air Reserve Base in less than four months, ceasing all flights into and out of the base, but the company confirmed Thursday that employees working there will have the option of transferring to any of the many facilities operated by the e-tailing giant throughout the Inland Empire.
“We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees, customers and partners,” according to a company statement. “We’ve made the decision to cease operations at our Riverside Air Facility.”
The official closure will arrive before the end of May.
According to published reports, about 400 people are employed at Amazon’s March ARB warehouse.
“All employees are able to transfer to other facilities we have nearby, and there will be no impact on our customers,” the company stated.
The few Amazon Prime Air flights that make scheduled runs into and out of the airport, which shares boundaries with the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley, reportedly will be shifted to San Bernardino International Airport, where Amazon has maintained operations since April 2021.
It established the March ARB facility about six years ago.
The company has over three dozen facilities in the Riverside-Ontario- San Bernardino metropolitan area.
March has been under a joint powers authority going back to the mid- 1990s, when it was deactivated as an active-duty military installation and converted to a reserve base, hosting Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units. The JPA relies on the combined decision-making of civilian and military officials to identify optimal uses of the space.
Civilian flight operations have been permitted there for a quarter century.
Moves are afoot to create a new 34-acre jet port, dubbed the “Meridian Gateway Aviation Center Project.” The proposed facility would provide docking bays for up to seven cargo airliners at a time, possibly operating all hours of the day and night.
The project remains the subject of scrutiny, with a final environmental impact report due out later this year.
Among opponents of the project is the Community Alliance for Riverside’s Economy & Environment, whose members argue it will dramatically increase pollutants, noise and other hazards, creating hardships for residents in the vicinity of the base.
Supporters include Upland-based Lewis Group, which has commercial developments throughout the region. One of its executives told City News Service in November the proposed jet port would be an economic boon.
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