Overview
- The FAA’s Emergency Airworthiness Directive 2025-23-51 keeps all MD-11 and MD-11F aircraft grounded until inspections and approved corrective actions are completed.
- FedEx will begin checks on 25 active MD-11s and expects to return jets to service tail by tail; the company owns 34 aircraft in total, with six inactive and three maintained as spares.
- To backfill capacity, FedEx has activated spare aircraft, deferred some routine maintenance, routed freight to commercial partners, and shifted more packages to its domestic ground network.
- UPS and FedEx both grounded MD-11 fleets and say contingency plans are in place, as the aircraft type represents a small share of their fleets but carries significant cargo per flight.
- Investigators are zeroing in on engine and mounting issues after reports that the left engine and pylon detached on the UPS flight that crashed in Louisville, which authorities say killed 14 people.