UPS Retires MD-11 Aircraft Fleet After Deadly Crash

UPS retires MD-11 planes after crash

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — UPS says that it retired its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes just months after one crashed during takeoff, causing 15 deaths in Louisville.

UPS retires MD-11 aircraft fleet after deadly crash

The carrier aims to fill the void in capacity with new Boeing 767s, CEO Carol Tomé said.

FedEx plans MD-11 return as UPS exits the type

FedEx said it is working with Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration to return its grounded MD-11 cargo aircraft to service by the end of May 2026, even as rival UPS has retired the type in the wake of a deadly crash in November 2025 that killed 15 people.  FedEx confirmed that inspections and maintenance actions are underway as part of its effort to resume MD-11 operations. The company grounded the aircraft type following the fatal cras…

UPS Grounds MD-11s: $137 Million Write-Down and the Final Farewell to the Last Great Re-Engineer - Economic Scenarios

Ultimately, budgetary rationale and operational safety prevailed over nostalgia and pure cargo capacity. UPS decided to retire its fleet of 27 McDonnell