UPS retires entire MD-11 fleet months after fatal crash

United Parcel Service (UPS) Airlines announced Tuesday that it has retired its McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes, just months after one crashed during takeoff.

The tragic accident resulted in 15 deaths, including three crew members and 12 others, in Louisville just outside Muhammad Ali International Airport, on November 4, 2025.

UPS Airlines CEO Carol Tome said that the company would buy 18 new Boeing 767s in the next months to rebuild its fleet.

She added, “During a fourth quarter earnings call, we decided to accelerate our plans and retire the entire MD-11 fleet,” which makes up around 9 percent of the total UPS fleet.

The decision comes after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all MD-11 aircraft following the tragic crash, including those in the fleets of FedEx and Florida-based Western Global Airlines.

Western Global Airlines did not immediately respond to the request for comment, while FedEx says that it expects its MD-11s to return to service by May 31.

The FAA is currently reviewing all the facts and circumstances to determine if the airlines will be allowed to fly MD-11 aircraft again.

The MD-11 is the largest trijet ever built. It was developed by McDonnell Douglas before the company merged with Boeing. 

The FAA licensed the plane to fly in November 1990 and it entered service in December 1990.