FedEx is preparing to return its MD-11 cargo aircraft to service as early as next month as the company looks to phase out costly leased planes brought in after regulators grounded the aging jets following a deadly crash in November, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
The move comes after Boeing developed and tested a redesigned bearing for a critical component of the MD-11, according to an internal memo sent to FedEx employees. While FedEx said it has validated the fix, the aircraft cannot resume operations until the Federal Aviation Administration signs off on final procedures.
The FAA said Monday that the airworthiness directive grounding the MD-11 remains in effect.
Federal authorities ordered the grounding after a United Parcel Service cargo jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky. The Honolulu-bound aircraft suffered a catastrophic failure when its left engine detached from the wing, killing all three crew members and 12 people on the ground.
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board found evidence of fatigue cracks and overstress failure in a structural component connecting the engine to the wing, raising concerns about the integrity of similar parts across the MD-11 fleet.
UPS subsequently announced it would retire its MD-11 aircraft, taking a $137 million write-off. The company had 26 MD-11s at the time, accounting for about 9% of its fleet.
FedEx, which operates the largest MD-11 fleet, had 34 aircraft in service before the grounding.
Company executives previously said the disruption cost approximately $145 million in operating income between November and February, with an additional $55 million impact expected in the current quarter, driven in part by leasing replacement aircraft, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In its memo, FedEx said it is awaiting "the final, FAA-approved procedure" before returning the planes to service.
The company plans to hold an internal town hall on May 6 ahead of a targeted relaunch later in the month, and at least two MD-11 flights have already been tentatively scheduled for early next month, according to a person familiar with the matter.
FedEx said it is working closely with Boeing, the FAA, and the NTSB as the process moves forward.
The MD-11, originally developed by McDonnell Douglas before its acquisition by Boeing in 1997, has come under renewed scrutiny following the crash. Federal investigators have noted similarities between the November disaster and the American Airlines Flight 191 crash, in which an engine also detached during takeoff, killing 273 people.
Separately, the NTSB said in January that Boeing had been aware of cracks in MD-11 bearing assemblies for nearly 15 years. The manufacturer notified airlines in a 2011 letter of at least four instances of such cracks but did not mandate replacement of the affected components.
The findings have raised broader questions about long-term maintenance guidance and the manufacturer’s response to known structural issues, as regulators weigh whether the updated fix is sufficient to safely return the aircraft to service.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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