FLEET - FedEx has now returned four MD-11Fs to operations and aims to have all of its MD-11Fs in service again by 4Q 2026.

Duncan Stewart
 

FLEET / ROUTES - Western Global to resume MD-11F operations this weekend

Western Global Airlines has become the second — and only remaining — MD-11F operator to fly one of the trijet freighters for the first time since the FAA grounded the type in November 2025. The 1998-vintage, CF6-powered unit 48781 operated to Columbus, Ohio (LCK), from Fort Myers, Fla
Photo: Duncan Stewart

AIRCRAFT - FedEx flies again with the MD-11F.

FedEx has begun the process of returning MD-11Fs to service. Since the model was grounded in November 2025 following the UPS crash, the company has been working with Boeing on a solution to reinforce the wing-mounted engine pylons. The solution still needs FAA approval, but it appears to be nearing completion, given that the airline has already conducted its first flights.

To date, two MD-11Fs have been modified. Aircraft N521FE (48478) conducted a round-trip test flight between Memphis (TN) and Los Angeles (CA) on May 10, 2026, and on the same day also made its first commercial flight from Memphis to Los Angeles (CA). Its sister aircraft, N621FE (48792), made a test flight on May 9, 2026, departing from Memphis, and made its first commercial flight on May 10, 2026, to Miami (FL).

Currently, FedEx has 29 MD-11Fs in its fleet, which have been relocated to various locations around the world after being decommissioned. The company is preparing dedicated repair teams that will be sent to the sixteen different locations where the aircraft are currently stationed.

FedEx plans to put 24 MD-11Fs into operation and use the remaining five as a "flexible reserve" for when there is an increase in demand. The model is expected to be retired in 2032, when replacement aircraft are delivered.

Scramble / Photos: Duncan Stewart

 

NEW AIRLINE - Panama’s Cargo Three takes delivery of first MD-10-30(F)

Cargo Three, based in Panama and a subsidiary of the Venezuelan airline Transcarga International Airways, plans to start its regular flights by the end of 2024 with three McDonnell Douglas MD-10-30 Freighters (F) previously operated by FedEx Express.

According to Cargo Fact, the parent company and investor of both airlines, JMB Aviation Group, plans to acquire a fourth MD-10 that will go to the Venezuelan airline.

Cargo Three received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aeronautics Authority of Panama in May 2021. It was supposed to receive an Airbus A300B4-203(F) that was previously operated by Aerounion, but due to reasons beyond the company’s control, the model was ultimately discarded.

A second base will operate as a cargo transshipment center with Venezuela from Tocumen International Airport (PTY), Panama City, offering flights to Caracas (CCS), Barcelona (BLA), Maracaibo (MAR), Porlamar (PMV), and Valencia (VLN) operated through Transcarga.

One of the MD-10-30 (F) ex-FedEx, registered as N311FE, 48 years old, has been in the maintenance workshops of Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ), in Barranquilla, Colombia, since February 2, 2024, where various maintenance tasks have been carried out over the past four months, after spending two years in the California desert.

 

FedEx retires MD-10-30Fs.

After the Holidays airlift in December 2022, FedEx retired the MD-10-30F from its operations. The following final eight MD-10-30Fs were withdrawn from service:

N306FE (48287), retired 31 December 2022

N307FE (48291), retired 30 December 2022

N311FE (46871), retired 31 December 2022

N313FE (48311), retired 29 December 2022

N316FE (48314), retired 31 December 2022

N318FE (46837), retired 30 December 2022

N319FE (47820), retired 30 December 2022

N321FE (47836), retired 29 December 2022

On 31 December 2022, N311FE was the last of the classic trijets to operate her final flight as FDX168 into Memphis (TN) out of Monterrey, making it the final operational flight for the type. Earlier that day N306FE arrived from Toronto as FDX147, and N316FE as FDX154 out of Toluca, also into Memphis.

Overall FedEx operated 112 DC-10-freighters in three versions; 25 DC-10-10s, 6 DC-10-30s, and 81 MD-10s. This latter version is the designation of the modernised DC-10-10/30 where Boeing installed a new glass cockpit and improved avionics between 1999 and 2010. This upgrade allowed another 10 to 13 years of service throughout Northern America. The need for a Flight Engineer was also dropped after the conversion as the MD-10 came quite close to the MD-11F. Among the MD-10 fleet some frames found new owners; N301FE (46800) joined Project Orbis (the flying eye hospital) in 2010 as N330AU, and N314FE (48312) joined Bolivian airline TAB Cargo in 2013 as CP-2791. Two frames got involved in accidents. The first one was N364FE (46600) on 18 December 2003 after a hard landing at Memphis (TN) causing a landing gear collapse and ending up in flames. The second was N370FE (46608) in a similar style event on 28 October 2016 at Fort Lauderdale (FL).

MD-10 N311FE was ferried from Memphis (TN) to Victorville (CA) on 11 January 2023 as her final resting place, following sisterships N316FE, which flew in on 9 January 2023 from Memphis (TN), and N319FE from Indianapolis (ID). Most frames are expected to meet the axeman at Victorville as there is not much demand nowadays for the old ladies. Their cargo volumes are replaced by new build B767-300F freighters, transporting similar loads at much better fuel consumption and with smaller noise footprints.

Photo: Duncan Stewart - LAX

 

WESTERN GLOBAL / MD-11F / N542KD

Ton Jochems - AMS

WESTERN GLOBAL - MD11F - N412SN

Ton Jochems - LGG

FEDEX - MD11F - N620FE

Ton Jochems - BNE

Western Global given okay for scheduled China cargo ops

Western Global Airlines (KD, Sarasota/Bradenton) has been given the greenlight to begin scheduled cargo services between the United States and China.
In its decision issued on Wednesday, June 7, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) said that in the circumstances presented, it found Western Global qualified to provide the scheduled foreign air transportation proposed in its request for exemption authority.
"Western Global has provided all-cargo charter flights between the United States and China and Hong Kong," it said. "The scheduled foreign air transportation services authorized by exemption here are not markedly different in terms of aircraft size or stage length from the carrier’s currently authorized operations under its existing certificate authority."
Western Global had earlier requested the exemption to allow it to fulfill an urgent contract for a client requiring weekly widebody cargo services to both Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok as well as unspecified points on the Chinese mainland. Until this announcement, Western Global had specialized in ACMI/charter flights conducted for and on behalf of other carriers.

ch aviation

Western Global Airlines - MD-11F - N412SN

Duncan Stewart - LAX

WESTERN GLOBAL AIRLINES - MD-11F - N542KD

Duncan Stewart -LAX

Western Global Airlines - McDonnell Douglas MD-11 - N543JN

Duncan Stewart - LAX

EVA Air ends MD-11 freighter operations

EVA Air  has ended MD-11(F) operations with B-16113 (msn 48790) operating the type's last commercial flight - BR606 Taipei Taoyuan-Anchorage Ted Stevens-Los Angeles Int'l - on March 23. The Taiwanese carrier operated a total of eight MD-11(F)s over a 23-year long span.

ch-aviation

Photo:Duncan Stewart - LAX

Martinair to phase out MD-11(F)s by June 2016; 330 jobs at stake

Martinair has confirmed it will phase out its fleet of six MD-11(F)s by June next year in a move that will affect more than 330 employees including 170 ground staff FTEs in the Netherlands, 50 FTEs abroad and 110 cockpit FTEs.

In a statement, the Air France-KLM Royal Dutch Airlines subsidiary reaffirmed previously announced plans to shift its operations to just four B747-400(F)s.

Photo:Ton Jochems - AMS

Centurion Air Cargo resumes MD-11(F) freighter operations 5 hours agono comments or reactions Centurion Air Cargo (WE, Miami Int'l) has resumed operations with its fleet of three MD-11(F) aircraft previously parked in Miami since September. The cargo carrier also uses B747-400(F) aircraft wet-leased from its sister carrier SkyLease Cargo (GG, Greensboro) on a regular basis and mainly operates from Miami to Latin America. It also operates some domestic charter flights in the United States.

Centurion Air Cargo has resumed operations with its fleet of three MD-11(F) aircraft previously parked in Miami since September.

The cargo carrier also uses B747-400(F) aircraft wet-leased from its sister carrier SkyLease Cargo on a regular basis and mainly operates from Miami to Latin America. It also operates some domestic charter flights in the United States.

The last trip of the most senior Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 becomes an emotional event

The MD-11F called “Charlie Papa” set off on her last trip on 12 May, taking with her the best wishes and emotional goodbyes of the Lufthansa Cargo and LTMI employees. She flew for Lufthansa Cargo all over the world for the last ten of her 22 years. Previously, she had been operated as a passenger aircraft by Brazilian airline VARIG.

Andreas Grubert, Manager Engineering & Fleet Management (FRA F/OT-M), reminisced with a smile about her inspection in Singapore following her passenger-to-freighter conversion: “Charlie Papa caused problems following her conversion and we needed a whole seven test flights, rather than the usual one or two, to prove the aircraft’s CAT III capability. Besides two Boeing engineers, maybe the three Chinese lucky cats in the cockpit also helped in the end...”

It has been a bumpy start for a sometimes temperamental aircraft. Nevertheless, technical operations manager Ulrich Henze (FRA F/OT) looked back with mixed feelings on Charlie Papa as she stood in the LTMI hangar over recent weeks during final preparations: “On the one hand, we’ll no longer have these masses of little problems with this older machine. But it also hurts to see a fully functional aircraft being stripped down.”

It has been a real “Lovestorm” that Lufthansa Cargo witnessed on its Facebook page: over 170,000 fans viewed the post announcing the last flight, more than 2,200 gave her a final “Like” and more than 180 MD-11F-fans left comments wishing Charlie Papa all the best on her journey.

Following a final cargo flight to JFK/New York, the MD-11F landed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the premises of Lufthansa Technik Component Services on 12 May at 3:30 p.m. local time. After 83,887 flight hours and 15,090 cycles, she will now be disassembled there into her constituent parts as part of Lufthansa Technik's “2nd Life” programme. Following repair and recertification, the individual components will enjoy a second lease of life as spare parts.

As only 200 MD-11 were produced worldwide, Charlie Papa is a valuable organ donor just as was Charlie Oscar before her, who went to Tulsa in January. Withdrawing the MD-11F from service is also an important step for the further renewal of the Lufthansa Cargo fleet structure. 16 “Elves”, as pilots and technicians sometimes jokingly refer to the aircraft with the third engine, remain in the Cargo fleet. The fourth of a total of five ordered Boeing Triple Sevens, the D-ALFD, will be added in June. By using brand new Boeing 777Fs, Lufthansa Cargo is saving more than 18,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and aircraft

LUFTHANSA CARGO - MD-11F - D-ALCP

Lufthansa Cargo

WORLD CARGO - MD-11F - N275WA

Ton Jochems - GYR

SKY LEASE CARGO - MD11F - N951AR

Ton Jochems - AMS

WORLD CARGO - MD-11F - N383WA

João Luis Pessoa - Lisboa