Customers across the country face potential shipping delays as UPS and FedEx grounded their MD-11 cargo fleets Friday following Boeing’s safety recommendation.

The ground stop affects approximately 9 percent of UPS Airlines’ fleet and comes after Tuesday’s fatal crash in Louisville that killed 12 people, including one child, The Hill reported. A UPS cargo plane experienced a fire in its left wing shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, with an engine separating before the aircraft crashed and exploded.

Boeing advised both carriers to pause MD-11 operations while engineers complete a safety analysis.

“Boeing’s Safety Review Board assessed all available information and concluded further engineering analysis was needed,” company officials said. “We recommended temporarily pausing fleet operations, so the analysis and any necessary corrective actions could be completed.” (RELATED: New Video Shows Fiery Crash Of UPS Plane, Locals Fleeing Aftermath)

Out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of safety, we have made the decision to temporarily ground our MD-11 fleet. Find the full statement in our newsroom. https://t.co/YyOX82vXjv

— UPS News (@UPS_News) November 8, 2025

FedEx told The Hill it would conduct “a thorough safety review based on the recommendation of the manufacturer.” The company said it was “immediately implementing contingency plans within our integrated air-ground network to minimize disruptions.”

UPS called the grounding decision proactive, stating, “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve.”

Supply chain expert Tom Goldsby from the University of Tennessee told the Associated Press that businesses and consumers often fail to grasp logistics complexities. “We just don’t expect our logistics operations to have a calamity or even a bad day,” he said. Despite the immediate impact, Goldsby said customers will likely accept delays, saying, “I understand the circumstance and will gladly receive it when it arrives.”

Experts expect minimal disruption to peak holiday shipping as companies activate backup plans. The FAA continues to investigate the Louisville crash.