UPS retires the MD-11 freighters after the November accident, leaving FedEx and Western Global as the only remaining operators in the world.
In a move that signals a major change for global cargo aviation, United Parcel Service (UPS) has confirmed that it has permanently retired its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo aircraft, abruptly ending the aircraft’s service with the world’s largest parcel carrier.
The announcement came on UPS’s Jan. 27 fourth-quarter 2025 earnings release, following months of uncertainty following the fatal crash of UPS Flight 2976 on Nov. 4, 2025, which claimed 15 lives. The plane involved was an MD-11. Shortly after the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the fleet “out of an abundance of caution” while the investigation continues.
Now, that grounding has become permanent.
UPS accelerates MD-11 output
UPS revealed that it completed the retirement of its MD-11 fleet during the fourth quarter of 2025, recording an after-tax non-cash charge of $137 million tied to the cancellation of the aircraft. Previously, the MD-11 represented approximately 9 percent of the UPS fleet and was primarily used on long-haul international freight routes.
The move significantly accelerates UPS’ long-standing fleet modernization plan. Before the accident, the company had already been phasing out older wide-body aircraft in favor of newer, more fuel-efficient twin-engine freighters. The MD-11, a three-engine design that traces its lineage to the DC-10, has long faced higher maintenance costs and lower parts availability compared to modern alternatives.
UPS has operated the MD-11 since the early 2000s, using it as a workhorse successor to its DC-10 fleet. At the time of the suspension of operations, the airline operated 31 MD-11s, making it the second largest MD-11 operator in the world, behind FedEx.
The sun sets for MD-11
Now that UPS is fully operational, the MD-11’s presence in global cargo operations has been drastically reduced.
Only two operators worldwide Let’s stay committed to the guy… for now:
- FedExwhich operates the world’s largest MD-11 fleet
- Western Global Airlinesa smaller US freight carrier hit hard by the grounding
The MD-11 fleets of both carriers have been grounded since November 2025, awaiting FAA-approved inspections. FedEx has previously indicated that it expects the MD-11 to return to service in 2026, while Western Global has yet to announce a confirmed timeline.
For now, however, UPS’s decision leaves no active MD-11 flights in U.S. commercial cargo service, a development that would have been unthinkable just a few months ago for an aircraft that once formed the backbone of long-haul cargo networks.
The beginning of the end of Trijets
UPS’s MD-11 retirement is likely the end of another era in the industry: the era of the trijet is quietly coming to an end.
Tri-engine aircraft like the MD-11, once prized for their redundancy and long-range performance, have been steadily displaced by more efficient twin-engine designs that benefit from modern ETOPS rules, lower fuel consumption and simpler maintenance profiles. Passenger operators retired this type years ago. Cargo carriers were the last to resist.
Today’s announcement may prove to be one of the decisive moments in the long farewell to the MD-11.
What comes next?
The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the November crash, and the FAA fleet remains grounded as inspections and reviews continue. While FedEx and Western Global are still positioned to return their MD-11s to service, UPS has made it clear that there is no way back for the type within its network.
Will FedEx and Western Global follow in UPS’s footsteps?
With UPS moving away, the MD-11 moves one step closer to history… and the skies get quieter for the last of the commercial trijets.
