UPS has announced that its MD-11 fleet, grounded after the deadly November 4 crash in Louisville, will not return to service during the peak holiday delivery season. An internal memo sent to employees stated that inspections and potential repairs will take significantly longer than first anticipated.
According to UPS Airlines President Bill Moore, bringing the fleet into compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements will take months rather than weeks, meaning the aircraft will not support operations during the busy holiday period.
All MD-11 Fleets Grounded Following the Accident
During the November 4 accident in Louisville, the aircraft caught fire after its left engine detached during takeoff. Fourteen people were killed and at least twenty-three were injured. Following the incident, UPS and other cargo operators grounded their MD-11 fleets even before the FAA issued a formal directive.
UPS says Boeing’s ongoing technical assessment has shown that inspections and possible repairs will be more extensive than initially expected.
UPS to Maintain Delivery Operations with Contingency Plans
A UPS spokesperson said the company has activated contingency plans to ensure uninterrupted deliveries throughout the holiday season, emphasizing that meeting aircraft safety standards remains the top priority.
MD-11 aircraft, with an average age of more than thirty years, are used exclusively for cargo operations. They make up roughly nine percent of the UPS fleet and about four percent of the FedEx fleet.
