LOS ANGELES, Jan 28 - FedEx said on Wednesday it is coordinating with Boeing and U.S. aircraft safety regulators to return its fleet of MD-11 cargo aircraft to service by May 31. The aircraft type was grounded after a fatal November crash of an MD-11 freighter operated by United Parcel Service that resulted in 15 deaths, including three crew members.
In a statement, FedEx said it is working with Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration to "address any required inspection and maintenance that may be needed to return our MD-11 aircraft safely to service." The company did not provide additional operational details or a step-by-step timeline beyond the targeted May 31 date.
UPS on Tuesday confirmed it retired its remaining MD-11 fleet, which numbered more than two dozen cargo jets, at the end of last year, accelerating a planned phase-out. UPS said replacement Boeing 767s are scheduled for delivery as part of that transition.
The November accident at Louisville Airport involved an MD-11 cargo jet and resulted in a fiery crash that killed 15 people, among them three crew members. The incident prompted the grounding of the MD-11 cargo jet model while investigations and inspections were pursued.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board said this month that a cracked part found on the UPS cargo jet involved in the crash had been flagged in a Boeing service letter issued more than a decade earlier. The board's finding linked the damaged component to prior awareness by the manufacturer, according to the NTSB's statement.
FedEx's public comments emphasize ongoing collaboration with Boeing and the FAA to determine and complete any inspections or maintenance actions necessary before returning MD-11s to commercial operation. UPS's completed retirement of its MD-11 fleet and scheduled deliveries of Boeing 767 replacements reflect an accelerated operational shift by at least one major operator of the model.
Key points
- FedEx aims to have its grounded MD-11 freighters back in service by May 31, working with Boeing and the FAA on inspections and maintenance.
- UPS retired its remaining MD-11 fleet at the end of last year and has Boeing 767s scheduled to replace those jets.
- Regulatory investigators reported a cracked part on the UPS jet involved in the crash had been identified in a Boeing service letter more than a decade earlier - a development with implications for aircraft safety oversight and aerospace manufacturers.
Impacted sectors: aviation operations, air cargo logistics, aerospace manufacturing and parts suppliers.
Risks and uncertainties
- Inspection and maintenance requirements discovered during the return-to-service process could extend timelines beyond the targeted May 31 date - affecting cargo capacity and operational planning in the air logistics sector.
- UPS's accelerated retirement of MD-11s depends on the scheduled delivery of Boeing 767s; any disruption to those deliveries could influence fleet capacity management for the carrier and broader air freight networks.
- The identification of a cracked part on the crashed UPS jet that had been flagged in a Boeing service letter more than a decade earlier introduces regulatory and manufacturing uncertainties for the aerospace sector as investigations proceed.