In light of this week’s tragic incident in Louisville, Kentucky, resulting in the loss of at least 12 lives, FedEx and UPS have taken decisive action regarding their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes. On Friday, both companies announced a temporary halt to the operation of these aircraft.
UPS disclosed in a brief statement that MD-11s constitute roughly 9 percent of its airline fleet. “The grounding is effective immediately,” the company stated. “We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer.” They emphasized their commitment to safety, stating, “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve.”
FedEx echoed this sentiment, confirming to The Hill that it too would be grounding its MD-11 fleet. This measure is part of a comprehensive safety review, prompted by Boeing’s recommendation. In a statement, FedEx assured, “We are immediately implementing contingency plans within our integrated air-ground network to minimize disruptions.” Their focus remains on maintaining the highest standards of safety and service for both customers and team members.
Boeing, the MD-11’s manufacturer, advised this precautionary grounding as a measure of caution. The company is collaborating closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address this issue further.
“We are immediately implementing contingency plans within our integrated air-ground network to minimize disruptions,” the company continued. “Our teams are focused on delivering the highest standards of safety and service for our customers and team members.”
Boeing, the manufacturer of the MD-11 aircraft, made this recommendation to FedEx and UPS “in an abundance of caution and we will continue coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] on this matter.”
“Boeing’s Safety Review Board assessed all available information and concluded further engineering analysis was needed,” Boeing officials told The Hill. “We recommended temporarily pausing fleet operations, so the analysis and any necessary corrective actions could be completed.”
The aviation accident at the UPS Worldport, located at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, killed a dozen people, including one child, on Tuesday. Just after takeoff, a UPS cargo plane’s left wing caught on fire and an engine fell off just before it crashed and exploded, officials revealed.
The investigation is ongoing.
The incident is expected to delay shipping, though experts told the Associated Press that the impact should be lessened before peak holiday season.
“I understand the circumstance and will gladly receive it when it arrives,” Tom Goldsby, professor of supply chain management at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, told the AP. “People and businesses don’t have a lot of understanding (about the supply chain).”
He added, “We just don’t expect our logistics operations to have a calamity or even a bad day.″
