MD-11 Freighters Face Extended Grounding for Inspections, Airlines Warn

Following the deadly UPS MD-11 crash in Louisville, the FAA has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive grounding all MD-11 and MD-11F aircraft until rigorous inspections and corrective measures are completed.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has recommended the suspension, citing “additional engineering analysis” as critical.
Both UPS (which operates about 9% of its fleet as MD-11s) and FedEx (around 4%) grounded their MD-11 fleets immediately, citing safety.

The inspection process is expected to be “more invasive” than initially planned, according to Western Global Airlines, potentially extending the downtime for these aircraft without a clear timeline for return.

Airlines are already activating contingency plans to handle reduced widebody capacity, while the FAA and other bodies launch a deep structural review.