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UPS and FedEx grounded part of their air fleets after Boeing advised.
A Boeing MD-11 plane operated by UPS crashed in Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday, killing at least 14 people, including three. Crew members On board, UPS and FedEx said the decision to stop using Boeing’s MD-11 aircraft was made out of an abundance of caution and safety considerations after the crash.
Boeing advised fleets using the MD-11 aircraft to suspend flight operations while the manufacturer conducts further engineering analysis, according to a statement Boeing emailed to Supply Chain Dive. The company added that it will continue to coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration in this regard.
MD-11s make up about 9 percent of UPS’s air fleet. The company had 29 MD-11s in its fleet at the end of 2024. UPS retired two of the planes from service on Sept. 30, according to a securities filing.
“Emergency plans are in place to ensure we can continue to provide the reliable service our customers around the world have come to rely on,” UPS said in an emailed statement. A company spokesperson added that UPS expects the grounding to be temporary.
FedEx has 28 MD-11s in service, roughly 4 percent of its total fleet. The company plans to retire its entire MD-11 fleet by the end of 2032 — extending the previously planned retirement date of 2028 — per the securities filing.
“We are immediately implementing emergency plans on our integrated air-ground network to minimize disruptions,” FedEx said in an emailed statement. “Our teams are focused on providing the highest standards of safety and service for our customers and team members.”
The grounding of the MD-11 is another recent obstacle to the flow of air cargo. The FAA has ordered a 10 percent reduction in air traffic at 40 major U.S. airports due to the ongoing government shutdown. While the overall impact on air transportation is expected to be limited, the cuts could cause temporary restrictions on domestic operations depending on how long they last, experts told Supply Chain Dive.
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