In brief
Following a tragic crash of a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 in Louisville, Kentucky that resulted in 14 fatalities, UPS has announced that its entire MD-11 fleet will remain grounded for months due to necessary inspections and repairs. The company is working to comply with FAA regulations while implementing contingency plans to manage shipping demands during the peak holiday season.
A fleet of planes that UPS grounded after a deadly crash isn’t expected to be back in service during the peak holiday season due to inspections and possible repairs, the company said Wednesday in an internal memo.
The airline expects it will be several months before its McDonnell Douglas MD-11 fleet returns to service as it works to meet Federal Aviation Administration guidelines, noted the memo from UPS Airlines president Bill Moore to employees. Initially, this process was expected to take weeks but has now been extended to several months.
A fiery MD-11 plane crash on November 4 in Louisville, Kentucky, killed 14 people and injured at least 23 when the left engine detached during takeoff. Subsequently, cargo carriers grounded their McDonnell Douglas MD-11 fleets in anticipation of a directive from the FAA.
In the memo, Moore stated, “Regarding the MD-11 fleet, Boeing’s ongoing evaluation shows that inspections and potential repairs will be more extensive than initially expected.”
A UPS spokesperson expressed confidence that the company would rely on contingency plans to meet customer delivery needs throughout the peak season, ensuring the safety of their aircraft remains a priority.
The 109 remaining MD-11 airliners, averaging over 30 years old, are specifically utilized for cargo transport by package delivery companies. The MD-11s constitute approximately 9% of the UPS airline fleet and 4% of FedEx’s fleet.
Boeing, which has been overseeing the MD-11s since it acquired McDonnell Douglas in 1997, stated it is “working diligently to provide instructions and technical support to operators” to comply with the FAA’s requirements. The FAA has indicated that Boeing will establish inspection procedures and corrective actions that will be subject to FAA approval.
