AviationNews – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken the drastic step of grounding the entire worldwide fleet of MD-11 and MD-11F cargo aircraft. The emergency order, issued overnight, follows a fatal UPS crash on Saturday and mandates immediate fleet-wide inspections.
The sweeping airworthiness directive was issued at approximately 01:00 UTC on November 10, 2025. This urgent move comes just two days after a UPS-operated MD-11F was involved in a deadly accident. The FAA‘s order impacts all operators of the tri-jet freighter, most notably global logistics giants FedEx and UPS, which rely heavily on the aircraft for their overnight shipping networks.
Operationally, the grounding freezes all MD-11 cargo operations around the world. The grounding impacts 29 aircraft at FedEx, 26 aircraft at UPS, and 12 aircraft at Western Global Airlines. The FAA‘s emergency directive requires all carriers to perform immediate inspections before any MD-11 can be returned to service. While the specific nature of the required checks was not immediately disclosed, the order suggests investigators may have found a critical safety flaw linked to the fatal crash.
“This emergency order reflects the FAA‘s commitment to safety. When a potential issue is identified that could affect the entire fleet, the agency will act decisively,” stated an aviation safety spokesperson. “The priority now is to complete these inspections and ensure the airworthiness of every aircraft.”
The grounding is expected to cause significant, immediate disruptions to the global air cargo network. FedEx and UPS will face immense logistical challenges in covering their routes, likely leading to widespread shipping delays. This places immense pressure on the carriers to complete the mandated inspections as quickly as possible.
The FAA‘s decision to ground the MD-11 fleet underscores the potential severity of the safety risk identified following the UPS accident. Carriers are now scrambling to conduct inspections and minimize disruptions, while the global supply chain braces for the impact of this sudden fleet shortage.
