FedEx has canceled the December flight schedule for its fleet of MD-11 cargo jets, FreightWaves has learned, indicating that federally mandated inspections will take significantly longer than originally anticipated after the fiery crash of one of the planes earlier this month.
The development comes with recent internal communications from UPS and Western Global Airlines, other three-engine MD-11 operators whose fleets are likely to be grounded for several months and unavailable for the current peak shipping season.
FedEx (NYSE: FDX ) has removed all MD-11 flights from its December schedule, according to a union official representing the company’s pilots and another person who is an MD-11 pilot. The decision makes it clear that the company does not expect aircraft to be available during the month and raises the question of whether the company will again have 8% of its mainline capacity in January without 8% of its mainline capacity.
“I don’t think it’s going to be as short-term as people expect,” said the FedEx MD-11 pilot, who asked not to be named to avoid any repercussions for his employer.
After the fatal crash of UPS Flight 2976 in Louisville, Kentucky, the Federal Aviation Administration banned MD-11 flights until the entire fleet was thoroughly inspected and any necessary repairs completed. The National Transportation Safety Board said on Nov. 20 that it found fatigue cracks in the structural section that holds the engine to the left.
FedEx deployed 28 MD-11s in early November.
The level of concern among regulators about the safety of the MD-11s is reflected in the fact that the FAA won’t even issue a flight permit for the planes to fly from their current airports to other locations for inspection or maintenance, the pilot source said.
FedEx pilots will typically be paid for their December assignments, but the exact pay structure remains to be determined if flights are canceled in January. There are about 500 MD-11 pilots at FedEx.
Another source said the union has seen internal company emails indicating management plans to reserve MD-11 pilots on duty in January, despite no flight requirements or defined duties at this time.
The representative of the union said: “The Association does not agree with the application of reserve status and its related payment provisions in a situation where there is no need for an operational reserve. We believe that this situation will be best resolved through direct interaction between the company and the Association to reach a suitable and fair solution for both parties.”
The FedEx Senior Executive Council, part of the Airline Pilots Association, is the bargaining unit for Express’ pilots.
“Safety is our highest priority at FedEx. We are working with Boeing and the FAA to review any required inspections and maintenance that may be required to safely return our MD-11 aircraft,” spokeswoman Isabel Rolison said in a statement. Flight schedules for December and January show that the MD-11s are currently grounded.
The MD-11 UPS is decommissioned by 2026
Meanwhile, UPS pilots have been informed that the process of inspecting and potentially repairing the MD-11s will likely take several months, rather than weeks, as originally estimated, Independent Pilots Association spokesman Brian Gaudette said Thursday evening.
UPS (NYSE: UPS ) employs 277 MD-11 pilots, according to the IPA.
Gaudet explained in a phone call that UPS pilots are pay protected, meaning they will be compensated for flights already awarded in December and for future cycles, even if the fleet remains the same.
The Louisville Courier-Journal, followed by other media outlets, reported Thursday that UPS Airlines President Bill Moore said in an internal letter that the MD-11 fleet may need more inspections and repairs than previously thought and that the planes will be grounded for several months.
Moore said in his letter that Boeing’s ongoing evaluation of the aircraft model led to the decision that removal of the engines and pylons may be necessary for “thorough inspections and repairs.”
Western Global Airlines has furloughed about 75 pilots who flew the MD-11 after receiving information from Boeing that the inspection process could drag on beyond this year.
FedEx’s chief financial officer, speaking at an investor conference on Nov. 11, said the inspection process is expected to be relatively quick and that the airline will return the MD-11 freighters to service on a rotating basis once they pass safety checks and make any needed repairs. His comments came before the NTSB released its initial accident report, which emphasized the discovery of fatigue cracks.
Prolonged grounding of the MD-11 fleet could be costly for companies. For example, FedEx and UPS have contracted with partner airlines to complete a portion of the MD-11 flight schedule on their respective airline networks.
Click here for FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulish.
Related stories:
NTSB links fatigue cracks to fatal crash of UPS cargo plane
UPS pilots mourn loss of co-workers killed in plane crash
UPS and FedEx ground the MD-11 flight to conduct a safety inspection
UPS begins phasing out older MD-11 cargo jets
NTSB crash investigators are trying to minimize disruption to UPS customers
The post FedEx to hold MD-11 flights for December as crash inspection extends appeared first on FreightWaves.
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