The MD-11 Is Back: Western Global Airlines Resumes Flying The Classic Trijet

Just when many aviation enthusiasts feared the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 had finally disappeared from the skies, one of the last remaining operators has brought the iconic trijet back into service.

US cargo carrier Western Global Airlines has resumed MD-11F operations following months of grounding after the fatal UPS Airlines MD-11 crash in Louisville in November 2025. The return means the type is once again flying commercially with just two airlines worldwide: Western Global Airlines and FedEx Express.

For enthusiasts, it marks another unexpected chapter in the long career of one of aviation’s most distinctive widebody freighters.

Western Global’s MD-11 Return

Dltl2010, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

According to reports, Western Global Airlines operated its first post-grounding MD-11F test flight from Fort Myers, Florida, to Columbus, Ohio, ahead of restarting commercial operations.

The airline had been particularly vulnerable during the grounding because its fleet has historically depended heavily on MD-11 freighters. During the grounding period, pilot furloughs and operational disruption placed significant pressure on the company.

Western Global’s fleet today consists primarily of McDonnell Douglas MD-11Fs and Boeing 747-400 freighters. At the time of the grounding, the airline operated around 15 MD-11Fs alongside a small fleet of four Boeing 747-400Fs.

The airline specialises in ACMI and charter cargo services, operating worldwide on behalf of freight forwarders, logistics providers, governments and military customers.

The FAA Grounding That Nearly Ended The MD-11

The worldwide grounding of the MD-11 fleet followed the crash of UPS Flight 2976 shortly after takeoff from Louisville in November 2025. Investigators identified structural fatigue cracking in the aircraft’s engine pylon mounting structure, prompting the FAA to issue an emergency directive grounding all MD-11 aircraft pending inspections and repairs.

The grounding immediately affected FedEx, UPS and Western Global Airlines — the last major operators of the type.

UPS permanently retired its entire MD-11 fleet following the accident, accelerating the end of an era for one of the aircraft’s biggest operators.

FedEx has since gradually returned its aircraft to service after completing inspections and modifications, while Western Global’s restart now means the MD-11 remains active in limited cargo operations around the world.

Where Western Global’s MD-11s Fly

Unlike FedEx’s highly structured cargo network, Western Global Airlines typically deploys its aircraft on ad-hoc charter and contract operations around the world.

Its MD-11Fs have regularly appeared across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa carrying everything from e-commerce shipments and perishables to automotive parts and military cargo.

The airline has become particularly well known among aviation enthusiasts for sending MD-11s into airports rarely served by large trijet freighters. In recent years, Western Global MD-11s have been spotted operating through destinations including Miami, Liège, Leipzig, Johannesburg, Hong Kong and various US military and cargo hubs.

Because many flights are charter-based, routes can change frequently — adding to the appeal for plane spotters hoping to catch one of the increasingly rare MD-11s in action.

One Of Aviation’s Last Trijets

JetPix (GFDL 1.2 <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html> or GFDL 1.2 <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html>), via Wikimedia Commons

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 first entered service in 1990 as the successor to the DC-10. Although passenger airlines gradually retired the type during the 2000s and early 2010s, the aircraft found a second life as a freighter thanks to its large payload capability and long range.

The final passenger MD-11 flight took place with KLM in 2014, leaving cargo flying as the aircraft’s final role.

Today, with UPS gone from MD-11 operations entirely, only FedEx Express and Western Global Airlines continue flying the type. FedEx remains by far the world’s largest operator, while Western Global keeps the aircraft alive in the specialist charter cargo market.

For aviation enthusiasts, the return of Western Global’s MD-11Fs means the unmistakable silhouette of the trijet will continue gracing airports for at least a little longer.

And in an aviation world increasingly dominated by twinjets, that alone makes the MD-11 something special.