The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is expected to remain grounded throughout the Christmas peak travel period, facing lengthy inspections and repairs. This will see many aircraft in both the FedExand UPS Airlines fleets remain on terra firma for the rest of the year.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 fleet will likely remain grounded for several months before the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed an extensive review of the aircraft, following the deadly crash on November 4, where three crew members died, while 11 other innocent bystanders were killed as the aircraft crashed into the ground upon take-off from Louisville, Kentucky.

Remaining Grounded Past Christmas

According to the Associated Press, reported on a memo was shared by Bill Moore, UPS Airlines president. This identified that the process to review and implement any changes to the MD-11 will see the process take many months. It was initially thought this could have lasted just weeks.

Following the shocking crash that saw the 34-year-old aircraft, bearing registration N259UP, have its left engine and pylon assembly separate on departure from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), saw both FedEx and UPS ground their entire MD-11 fleet before the directive that followed from the FAA. Moore shared that the ongoing evaluation from Boeing will be much more intensive than thought:

“Regarding the MD-11 fleet, Boeing’s ongoing evaluation shows that inspections and potential repairs will be more extensive than initially expected.”

Contingency Aircraft In The Wings

At this time, UPS Airlines will continue to utilize contingency aircraft to support its overall operations throughout the peak holiday season. This is one of the most popular times of the year, which sees a surge in e-commerce and online shopping, intensifying the need for last-minute items to be shipped quickly. Additionally, the demand for perishable and high-value goods also drives high demand for cargo services throughout the holiday period.

The majority of all MD-11 aircraft are more than 30 years of age, and while historically they flew as scheduled passenger aircraft for airlines such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and KLM, now these planes are used exclusively for cargo by package delivery companies.

Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, and thus far has been working ‘diligently’ with the FAA to understand any technical support and work that is required, will see the American plane manufacturer develop specific procedures and supporting inspections as a result of any corrective actions that are identified.

The MD-11 Aircraft

Developed by McDonnell Douglas, the MD-11 was the largest trijet that was ever built and was an extension of the DC-10. The aircraft’s maiden flight was back in January 1990, and it was delivered to Finnair as the launch carrier later that year. The airplane retained a basic trijet configuration similar to the DC-10; however included newer General Electric CF6-80C2 or Pratt & Whitney PW400 turbofan engines.

When used for passenger services, it could cater for up to 298 passengers across three classes. KLM was the last scheduled passenger operator for the MD-11, eventually retiring the aircraft in 2014 as it was replaced by more fuel-efficient aircraft. The last flight departed from Montréal–Trudeau International Airport on October 26, 2014, as KL672, with the aircraft registration PH-KCE, and nicknamed ‘Audrey Hepburn’. This plane has since been scrapped.

Today, the MD-11 is used for cargo operations due to positive economics. The aircraft has been retired from commercial passenger service, with plenty of life left. The aircraft can be cheaply converted to a freighter, and has a large cargo capacity with the ability for a dense payload. While fuel inefficiencies are a factor, the airplane is a popular choice due to low flight hours and improved capital cost savings.

Both FedEx and UPS, which operate the MD-11, make up to 4% and 11% respectively of their overall fleet. Both carriers plan to retire the aircraft, with FedEx expected to shelve the aircraft by 2032. UPS, however, looks to replace these planes with the Boeing 767-300F; however, there is no fixed date as to when these aircraft will take their final flight.