UPS and FedEx ground MD-11 cargo fleets following deadly Kentucky crash
UPS and FedEx grounded their MD-11 cargo planes late Friday following a deadly crash in Louisville, Kentucky, acting on the manufacturer's recommendation.
November 8, 2025 - 11:57 AM ET • 2 min read
UPS and FedEx, two of the world's largest cargo carriers, announced late Friday that they were grounding their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter aircraft. This decision, made "out of an abundance of caution," followed the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, days after a deadly crash involving a UPS MD-11 in Louisville, Kentucky.
The grounding affects approximately 9% of the UPS airline fleet and 4% of the FedEx fleet, according to statements released by the companies. Both carriers emphasized that safety was their top priority and that they were acting based on the manufacturer's guidance.
Boeing, which merged with original MD-11 producer McDonnell Douglas in 1997, issued a statement early Saturday confirming its recommendation. The company advised the three operators of the MD-11 Freighter to "suspend flight operations while additional engineering analysis is performed."
The grounding comes after a UPS MD-11 crashed Tuesday shortly after taking off from Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky. The airport serves as the location for the UPS global aviation hub, known as Worldport. The plane was headed for Honolulu.
The crash resulted in 14 fatalities, including the three pilots aboard the aircraft and 11 people on the ground. Initial findings from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicated that the plane's left engine had detached from the wing during the incident. NTSB officials specified that the crashed plane was a 1991 McDonnell Douglas 2 model that had been altered into an MD-11 Freighter configuration.
In their statements, both cargo companies confirmed they were complying with the manufacturer's request. A UPS statement late Friday noted, "We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer." FedEx similarly stated it would be grounding the aircraft while it conducts "a thorough safety review based on the recommendation of the manufacturer."