The FedEx Corporation has said that it plans to keep using its MD-11 cargo planes, even after a major accident involving the same model plane late last year. By contrast, UPS announced that it would be retiring its own MD-11s, substantially reducing their fleet until replacements could be found. This has raised concerns that FedEx may be ignoring safety issues, thus assuming the risk that another similar accident might occur.

FedEx to Continue Using MD-11 Planes

FedEx announced that it would begin using its MD-11 planes starting May 31, after temporarily grounding them in the wake of a deadly UPS plane crash involving that model of plane. According to the company, they believed that with adequate inspections and required maintenance, the planes would be safe to fly again. They also said they would work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address any ongoing safety issues.

UPS to Discontinue Use of MD-11 Fleet

By contrast, UPS said that it would be retiring its existing fleet of MD-11 planes, which constitutes about 11% of its total cargo planes. It has reportedly already contracted with Boeing to purchase 767s to replace these planes, believing that the aging craft are no longer safe to fly. The first MD-11s were manufactured in 1990, with the last of these planes having been made in 2014, more than a decade ago.

Failing to Address Potential Safety Concerns

When the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the UPS crash, they found that the accident was due to a cracked engine mount, which was an issue that Boeing itself had flagged more than a decade prior. While the crash convinced UPS itself to abandon the planes, FedEx does not seem as concerned about the known safety issues identified in the report. As such, they are effectively assuming the risk of continuing to use these planes, which could develop these same mechanical issues at any time.

The Potential Cost of Negligence

The UPS plane crash occurred because safety problems were overlooked or ignored until they became fatal, which is problematic in itself. Even worse, however, is continuing to ignore the potential safety dangers even after fifteen people lost their lives in a completely avoidable accident. Whether they acknowledge it or not, FedEx is effectively on notice for these safety problems, and unfortunately they may not do anything about it until another terrible tragedy occurs.