AP
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A fleet of planes that UPS grounded after a deadly crash isn’t expected to be again in service throughout the peak vacation season due to inspections and attainable repairs, the corporate stated Wednesday in an inner memo.
The airline expects will probably be a number of months earlier than its McDonnell Douglas MD-11 fleet returns to service as it really works to meet Federal Aviation Administration pointers, stated the memo from UPS Airlines president Bill Moore to staff. The course of was initially estimated to take weeks however is now expected to take a number of months.
A fiery MD-11 airplane crash on November 4 in Louisville, Kentucky, killed 14 people and injured not less than 23 when the left engine indifferent throughout takeoff. Cargo carriers grounded their McDonnell Douglas MD-11 fleets shortly after, forward of a directive from the FAA.
“Regarding the MD-11 fleet, Boeing’s ongoing evaluation shows that inspections and potential repairs will be more extensive than initially expected,” Moore wrote within the memo.
A UPS spokesperson stated in a press release that the corporate will depend on contingency plans to ship for patrons all through the peak season, and it “will take the time needed to ensure that every aircraft is safe.”
The 109 remaining MD-11 airliners, averaging more than 30 years old, are completely used to haul cargo for bundle delivery firms. MD-11s make up about 9% of the UPS airline fleet and 4% of the FedEx fleet.
Boeing, which took over because the producer of MD-11s since merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, stated in a press release that it’s “working diligently to provide instructions and technical support to operators” in order that they will meet the FAA’s necessities.
The FAA stated Boeing will develop the procedures for inspections and any corrective actions, pending approval from the FAA.