FAA bars MD-11 flights after fiery UPS jet crash

 The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday said it was prohibiting MD-11 planes from flying for now, pending inspections, after a crash earlier in the week of a UPS (UPS.N), opens new tab

 MD-11 cargo freighter killed at least 14 people in Kentucky.

UPS and FedEx (FDX.N), opens new tab said they have already grounded their combined fleet of more than 50 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes following a recommendation by planemaker Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab.

The FAA said the emergency airworthiness directive was prompted by the crash on Tuesday, when the left engine and pylon detached from the airplane during takeoff in Louisville. The cause of the detachment is under investigation.

"This condition could result in loss of continued safe flight and landing," the U.S. regulator said.

"The FAA is issuing this AD because the agency has determined the unsafe condition is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design."

UPS said it was in compliance with the directive because it has grounded its fleet of 26 MD-11 planes, representing about 9% of its fleet.

Boeing said on Saturday it supports the FAA order.

FedEx, with 28 MD-11s in operation out of its 700 planes, said it was "immediately implementing contingency plans" to minimize disruptions.

FAA LIKELY TO REQUIRE COMPREHENSIVE INSPECTIONS

Boeing acquired the MD-11 program through its 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas.

Officials said the FAA is likely to require comprehensive engine and pylon inspections before allowing the planes to resume service. The FAA order requires any necessary fixes after the inspections.

A spokesperson for the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board stressed the agency had not reached any conclusions into the crash it is investigating. The 34-year-old freighter reached about 100 feet (30.5 meters) above ground level before plunging in flames off the runway and destroying two nearby businesses.

One of the plane's three engines detached from the left wing as it rolled down the Louisville airport runway.

On Friday, U.S. safety investigators said that as a warning bell sounded in the cockpit, the three UPS pilots on board had tried to wrestle control of the plane just before it crashed.

Earlier this week, the NTSB said it was probing the maintenance history of the plane, which was in Texas for repairs with the aircraft undergoing heavy maintenance weeks before the accident. The aircraft was at a facility operated by Singapore-based ST Engineering (STEG.SI), opens new tab, according to a source familiar with the matter.

ST Engineering has said it provides airframe maintenance for UPS's MD-11 aircraft and operates a repair facility in San Antonio, but declined further comment.

Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington DC and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Sergio Non, Rod Nickel, Leslie Adler and Christopher Cushing

U.S. airlines scrambled cut 4% of flights

WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - U.S. airlines on Friday scrambled to cut 4% of flights at 40 major airports after the government imposed an unprecedented cut to air travel citing air traffic control safety concerns because of a record-setting government shutdown.

The cuts, which began at 6 a.m. ET (1100 GMT), include about 700 flights from the four largest carriers - American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines - and are set to rise to 6% on Tuesday and then 10% by November 14 if the shutdown does not end.

The cuts don't apply to international flights.

MORE CUTS WOULD BE 'PROBLEMATIC', AMERICAN AIRLINES SAYS

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom does not expect significant disruption for customers from initial government-ordered flight reductions, he said on Friday, warning that increased cuts would be "problematic."

"This level of cancellation is going to grow over time and that's something that is going to be problematic," Isom told CNBC.

Cuts are expected to be less Saturday since airlines generally fly fewer flights on Saturdays.

An airliner, making it's approach, flies past flags at the base of the Washington Monument, as flight delays surge from the government shutdown which entered its 30th day, in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

United Airlines (UAL.O), opens new tab said half of its impacted customers were able to be rebooked within four hours of their original departure time.

The Federal Aviation Administration did not publish the list of airports impacted until 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday - less than 12 hours before the cuts took effect - and largely rejected concerns airlines raised after they received a draft order.

Airlines were also dealing with the fallout from continuing air traffic controller absences as the FAA slows flights to address staffing issues. Earlier this week, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said 20-40% of controllers were not showing up for work on any given day.

During the record long 38-day government shutdown, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners have been forced to work without pay.

The FAA on Friday imposed ground delay programs slowing flights at Austin and Reagan Washington National due to staff shortages.

The FAA is restricting space launches as well.

It also warned it could reject specific cuts if they disproportionately impacted certain communities and could cut up to 10% of general aviation flights at high-traffic airports if staffing issues arose.

Reporting by David Shepardson. Editing by David Goodman and Mark Potter