MEMPHIS — FedEx (FX) has cancelled all scheduled MD-11 operations for December as regulators continue a sweeping inspection mandate triggered by the fatal crash of UPS Flight 2976 earlier this month.
This move indicates that the grounding of the trijet freighter is likely to extend well beyond initial expectations, affecting global cargo capacity during the peak holiday shipping season.
On-Going Investigation
The FAA ordered an immediate grounding of all MD-11s after investigators discovered fatigue cracks in a structural component attaching an engine to the left wing of the UPS aircraft that crashed in Louisville, Kentucky.
With the National Transportation Safety Board confirming the cracks on November 20, regulators have taken a stringent stance so strict that the FAA has reportedly declined to issue ferry permits, leaving aircraft parked where they currently stand until inspections can be completed. FedEx entered November with 28 MD-11s. The cancellation of the entire December schedule suggests the carrier does not anticipate any aircraft returning to service this year…