Fleet of UPS planes grounded after deadly crash expected to miss peak delivery season

The fleet of planes that UPS grounded after a fatal crash is not expected to return to service during the busy holiday season due to inspections and possible repairs, the company said in an internal memo Wednesday.

The airline expects it to happen several months before the flight McDonnell Douglas MD-11 fleet UPS Airlines president Bill Moore said in a memo to employees that it was returning to service while working to comply with Federal Aviation Administration rules. The process was initially estimated to take weeks but is now expected to take several months.

In the fiery MD-11 plane crash that occurred in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 4, 14 people were killed and at least 23 were injured when the left engine separated during takeoff. Cargo carriers soon grounded their McDonnell Douglas MD-11 fleets ahead of the FAA’s directive.

“Boeing’s ongoing evaluation of the MD-11 fleet indicates that inspections and possible repairs will be more extensive than initially anticipated,” Moore wrote in his memo.

A UPS spokesperson said in a statement that the company will rely on contingency plans to deliver to customers during the busy season, which “will take the time necessary to ensure each aircraft is safe.”

The remaining 109 MD-11 aircraft, which are on average more than 30 years old, are used solely to transport cargo for package delivery companies. MD-11s make up about 9% of the UPS airline fleet and 4% of the FedEx fleet.

Boeing, which took over as the manufacturer of MD-11s since its merger with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, said in a statement that it was “working diligently to provide instructions and technical support to operators” so they can meet the FAA’s requirements.

The FAA said Boeing will develop procedures for inspections and any corrective action pending FAA approval.