MD-11 Fleet to Remain Grounded Through Holidays

Internal UPS memo suggests it will take months to return the aircraft to service.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, November 28, 2025 at 12:58 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

UPS MD-11 [Credit: Shutterstock/Austin Deppe]

Key Takeaways:

The global fleet of MD-11 cargo aircraft is grounded by an FAA airworthiness directive following the deadly crash of UPS Flight 2976 on November 4, which involved a fire and engine separation during takeoff.
This grounding, affecting 109 MD-11s worldwide, is temporary but anticipated to last several months for inspections and repairs, with Boeing responsible for developing the necessary procedures.
The incident resulted in 14 fatalities and 23 injuries, and while the grounding impacts the peak shipping season, major operators like UPS have contingency plans in place.

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Friday marks the traditional beginning of the shopping and shipping season, but don’t expect any of those packages to be carried by MD-11s. The model, used exclusively by cargo airlines, remains grounded by an airworthiness directive following the deadly crash of UPS flight 2976 in Kentucky on November 4.

UPS grounded its remaining MD-11s on November 7, shortly before the FAA issued an airworthiness directive grounding the world fleet on November 8.