When will FedEx start retiring its McDonnell Douglas MD-10s?
FedEx Express, the division of FedEx that manages the airline operated by the shipping corporation, has not yet used any of its McDonnell Douglas MD-10Fs in 2023
Possibly implying that the type will be phased out of the carrier’s fleet sooner rather than later.
At Victorville Airport (VCV), one of the biggest aircraft storage facilities in the world, one of the seven MD-10-30Fs currently assigned to the airline’s fleet has already been stored.
On December 30, 2022, the N318FE-registered aircraft made a flight to VCV and has been there ever since. May 1979 saw the completion of the freight tri-jet.
Since late December 2022, there have been other FedEx Express MD-10s on the ground at Memphis International Airport (MEM) or Indianapolis International Airport (IND), signaling that they may be retiring earlier than expected.
According to the company’s most recent Financial and Operational Statistics, which were released on December 20, 2022, all eight of the airline’s MD-10 cargo aircraft that were still in service as of November 30, 2020 are expected to be retired by the end of the Financial Year 2023, which ends on May 31, 2023.
The last MD-10F that was transported to the Californian airport before N318FE took off for VCV was N304FE, which was placed in storage on September 29, 2022.
In a section of the company’s Annual Report 2022 devoted to its fleet of aircraft, it was stated that in order to lower the cost of fuel use and related GHG emissions.
We have implemented efficiencies in flight operations through our global FedEx Fuel Sense program and are replacing many of our older airplanes with more fuel-efficient models.”
Further information regarding FedEx Express’ fleet plans was withheld by a FedEx official.
