UPS, FedEx planes grounded for months as holiday shipping season hits

Nov 28, 2025 at 06:25 AM CST

A fleet of UPS cargo planes that was grounded after this month's deadly crash in Louisville, Kentucky will now be parked longer than anyone expected. — Image credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Summary

Flights grounded

A leaked internal memo shows UPS' entire fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes will be grounded longer than expected because they need more extensive repairs than previously thought.

Not just UPS

It's not only impacting UPS deliveries during the holiday shipping season. FedEx also uses MD-11 to ship some of its cargo.

Holiday shipping

The MD-11s only make up 9% of UPS' fleet and 11% of FedEx's but they represent hundreds of daily flights and thousands of packages.

Full story

A fleet of UPS cargo planes that were grounded after this month’s deadly crash in Louisville, Kentucky, will now be parked longer than anyone expected. That could impact holiday deliveries.

A leaked internal memo said the company’s entire McDonnell Douglas MD-11 fleet will be down for months, not weeks. These aircraft make up 9% of UPS’ fleet and 11% of FedEx’s. It’s a small slice on paper, but it represents hundreds of daily flights and thousands of packages.

This story is featured in today’s Unbiased Updates. Watch the full episode here.

Boeing, which now owns McDonnell Douglas, reportedly told UPS that the required inspections and structural repairs are far more extensive than first thought. It said that every single aircraft will need to be torn down to identify and remove aging parts.

The remaining 109 MD-11s UPS owns are all more than 30 years old on average.

Shea Taylor

Shea Taylor is a producer at Straight Arrow News. She helps produce Unbiased Updates to bring viewers the news they need to start their day.

Jason K. Morrell contributed to this report.

Tags: Boeing, FedEx, holidays, Kentucky, Louisville, Plane, plane crash, Shipping, UPS

A FLEET OF U-P-S CARGO PLANES — GROUNDED AFTER THIS MONTH’S DEADLY CRASH IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY– WILL NOW BE PARKED LONGER THAN ANYONE EXPECTED.

AND IT COULD SQUEEZE HOLIDAY DELIVERIES.

A LEAKED INTERNAL MEMO OUT WEDNESDAY SAYS THE COMPANY’S ENTIRE MCDONNELL DOUGLAS M-D-11 FLEET WILL BE DOWN FOR MONTHS, NOT WEEKS.

THESE AIRCRAFT MAKE UP 9% OF UPS’S</span> FLEET AND 11% OF FEDEX’S — A SMALL SLICE ON PAPER, BUT THEY REPRESENT HUNDREDS OF DAILY FLIGHTS AND THOUSANDS OF PACKAGES.

BOEING — WHICH NOW OWNS MCDONNELL DOUGLAS — REPORTEDLY TOLD UPS THE REQUIRED INSPECTIONS AND STRUCTURAL REPAIRS ARE FAR MORE EXTENSIVE THAN FIRST THOUGHT — AND THAT EVERY SINGLE AIRCRAFT WILL NEED TO BE TORN DOWN TO IDENTIFY AND REMOVE AGING PARTS.</p>

THE REMAINING 109 M-D-11S – FOR UPS -ARE ALL MORE THAN 30 YEARS OLD ON AVERAGE.

Why this story matters

After a deadly crash, UPS has grounded its MD-11 fleet for several months due to required comprehensive inspections and repairs, raising safety, operational, and supply chain concerns amid the peak delivery season and prompting industry-wide impacts.

Air safety and regulation

The grounding highlights regulatory oversight and ongoing investigations into aircraft safety after the Louisville crash, with the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing coordinating on inspections to prevent future incidents.

Operational disruption

UPS and other cargo carriers face prolonged operational challenges during the peak holiday season, affecting delivery capacity and necessitating contingency plans, according to statements from company officials.

Aging aircraft and maintenance

The incident has renewed focus on the risks of aging cargo airplanes, with sources like the National Transportation Safety Board identifying structural cracks, raising questions about long-term fleet maintenance and industry practices.

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History lesson

Engine detachment during takeoff, similar to the recent UPS crash, occurred in the 1979 American Airlines disaster. Subsequent regulatory changes sought to prevent such incidents, but the latest crash indicates ongoing risks with aging aircraft models.

Oppo research

Aviation attorneys and critics argue, according to Newsweek and NBC Chicago, that the required inspections and repairs for the MD-11 fleet should have been conducted years ago, citing recurring maintenance and regulatory failures.

Solution spotlight

UPS and FedEx have implemented contingency measures, such as leasing aircraft and using reserve fleets, to maintain delivery operations during the extended grounding period. Both companies state they will prioritize safety and customer service.

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Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left emphasize the "invasive" nature of checks and the "undeterminable period" of grounding, framing it as "creating havoc" for multiple carriers, including smaller ones.
Media outlets in the center offer specific figures like "14 killed" and "23 injured," and introduce a "possible systemwide problem" or a "2026" grounding projection, de-emphasized elsewhere.
Media outlets on the right employ emotive terms like "doomed" and "massive, deadly fireball" to portray the crash, highlighting economic disruption by focusing on missing the "peak delivery season.

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Media landscape

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99 total sources

Key points from the Left

The grounding of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 planes may continue for an indeterminate time, impacting United Parcel Service Inc., FedEx Corp., and Western Global Airlines.
According to Tom Romnios, vice president of human resources at Western Global Airlines, these planes will undergo highly invasive inspections and repairs.
Tom Romnios also stated that Western Global Airlines is furloughing pilots effective November 22.
The MD-11 constitutes most of Western Global's fleet, which consists of 19 aircraft.

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Key points from the Center

This past week, Newsweek obtained an internal memo saying United Parcel Service and FedEx Corp. MD-11 jets will likely remain grounded for months, increasing pressure over the Christmas period.
The FAA grounded all MD-11 and MD-11F cargo jets after Nov. 4, when a Louisville crash killed 14 and a report found fatigue cracks prompting inspections.
Tom Romnios' internal memo said Western Global Airlines will furlough pilots effective Nov. 22 and described MD-11 inspections as "highly invasive", with the memo posted on LinkedIn by Nik Fialka.
Pilots were furloughed effective Nov. 22, and with average daily package volume able to double during the holiday season, United Parcel Service and FedEx Corp. Face shipping strain operating about 50 MD-11 jets.
Boeing is coordinating with the FAA to develop inspection and corrective procedures that the agency must approve before MD-11s can return, leaving the fleet sidelined for an undetermined period.

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Key points from the Right

UPS Airlines has grounded its McDonnell Douglas MD-11 fleet indefinitely for inspections and repairs following a fatal crash in Kentucky on November 4 that killed 14 people.
Bill Moore, airline president, informed employees that the grounding will affect operations during the busy holiday season.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, which involved an MD-11 plane that exploded shortly after takeoff from Louisville, never exceeding 30 feet in altitude before hitting a UPS warehouse and a recycling facility.
Boeing's ongoing assessment indicated that the necessary inspections and repairs for the MD-11 fleet will be more extensive than initially anticipated.

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- UPS Indefinitely Grounds All Its MD-11's – 9% Of Firm's Fleet Out For Peak Delivery Season
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