FedEx Targets May 31 Return of Its MD-11 Freighters

‍MEMPHIS — FedEx Express (FX) plans to return its grounded McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo aircraft to service by May 31, working with the aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, and U.S. regulators after a fatal crash involving the same aircraft type operated by UPS (5X) Airlines last November.

In a statement, FX said it is coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to complete any required inspections and maintenance before reactivating the tri-jet freighters.

The MD-11 fleet was grounded industry-wide following a deadly accident at Louisville, Kentucky, in which 15 people, including the three crew members, were killed when a UPS-operated MD-11 crashed on approach and was destroyed by fire.

UPS confirmed in its fourth-quarter earnings and 2026 guidance report that it had fully retired its MD-11 fleet, formally closing the chapter on an aircraft type that had been a mainstay of the carrier’s long-haul cargo operations for decades. The carrier, whose primary global hub, Worldport, is located at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), is replacing the type with newer twin-engine Boeing 767 freighters that are already scheduled for delivery.

FedEx Fleet Strategy

FedEx has historically planned to keep the MD-11 in service longer than 5X did, with a retirement horizon stretching into the early 2030s versus UPS’s previously stated late-2020s exit. In that context, FX’s intention to return the type to service is not entirely surprising. 

FedEx also maintains one of the world’s largest and most experienced in-house MD-11 maintenance operations, which may position it to carry out any additional inspections, structural repairs, or overhaul work required for a safe return to flight more efficiently than operators that were already in the process of phasing the aircraft out.

Our opinion is that FX can’t retire these aircraft as fast as it would like because replacements aren’t arriving quickly enough—suggesting cargo widebody demand still outpaces available supply. 5X, by contrast, appears to be moving to offload them as soon as possible.

If FX can’t source suitable replacement lift without compromising its business plan, the likely near-term move is to keep aircraft in service longer and/or scoop up ex-5X frames as a cost-effective spare-parts pool.

The MD-11 Scrutinized

Earlier this month, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said investigators had identified a cracked component on the crashed aircraft that had been highlighted in a Boeing service communication issued more than a decade ago. The finding has prompted additional scrutiny of the MD-11’s aging structures and maintenance requirements.

According to Reuters, the Tennessee freight giant has not disclosed how many aircraft are currently affected by the grounding, but said any return to service will be contingent on regulatory approval and completion of mandated checks.

When cleared to fly again, the FX MD-11s would rejoin a network that has been increasingly shifting toward newer, more fuel-efficient twin-engine types, even as the tri-jet continues to play a role in high-capacity long-haul cargo sectors.

FedEx operates the world’s largest remaining MD-11 fleet, using the long-range freighters primarily on intercontinental routes. FX maintains a fleet of over 650 aircraft, whereas 5X operates a smaller fleet of around 295–300 aircraft.