Illustration: The Touch & Go
Four FedEx MD-11Fs Return to Service as Full Fleet Reinstatement Targets Peak Season
FedEx has restarted operations for four Boeing MD-11 freighters following last November's grounding, aiming to restore the entire fleet ahead of the high-demand peak period.
The gist
FedEx resumes flights with four MD-11Fs and plans to reinstate its full fleet before this year’s peak season.
Continuing coverage
All Fedex →FedEx has resumed flight operations for four of its Boeing MD-11F aircraft after grounding the entire fleet in November 2025. This move follows a fatal accident involving a UPS MD-11F at Louisville that led to widespread safety concerns. The incident was traced to a fatigue fracture in a bearing race at the rear pylon attachment of the left engine, which caused the engine to detach during takeoff. FedEx collaborated closely with Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to develop a fix and validate the aircraft's safety for return to service.
The first two MD-11Fs were reinstated in May 2026, with two more – identified as N522FE and N617FE – added to the active roster recently. FedEx’s president and CEO Raj Subramaniam noted in a June 23 briefing that the airline values the contributions of its flight operations, technical teams, and safety personnel who helped achieve this milestone. Subramaniam emphasized that further aircraft are expected to return to service, with the goal of having the entire MD-11F fleet operational before the peak shipping season later this year.
As of May 31, 2026, FedEx’s MD-11F fleet consisted of 29 aircraft, down from 34 a year prior. During the last year, the airline permanently retired five MD-11Fs as part of a larger group of 10 aircraft withdrawals, which included four Boeing 757-200s and one Airbus A300-600F freighter. Claude Russ, the carrier’s interim chief financial officer, explained that these retirements aligned with FedEx’s fleet optimization strategy amid evolving cargo demand and operational cost considerations.
Unlike UPS, which chose to completely retire its MD-11Fs following the Louisville accident, FedEx intends to keep the type in its fleet until at least 2032. Subramaniam did note that the retirement schedule is subject to revision but currently projects a phased retirement plan beginning in 2028. This plan foresees the retirement of two MD-11Fs in 2028, six in 2029, and seven aircraft annually from 2030 through 2032, signaling a gradual phase-out rather than a sudden withdrawal.
The decision to return the MD-11Fs to service reflects FedEx’s efforts to maintain sufficient cargo capacity through its well-established fleet while accommodating new safety measures. The aircraft’s three-engine trijet configuration has been a staple in FedEx’s long-haul freight operations, making its reinstatement critical to meeting demand during the peak shipping period. FedEx’s coordination with Boeing and regulators ensured the identified structural issue was addressed before resuming commercial flights.
This phased approach to returning the MD-11Fs safeguards cargo service continuity while assuring regulatory compliance and operational safety. It also demonstrates FedEx’s commitment to managing fleet transitions pragmatically, especially given the backdrop of industry scrutiny following the UPS accident. The carrier’s proactive safety investigations and technical collaborations with authorities highlight how industry players handle rare but impactful structural failures.
FedEx has not disclosed specific technical details of the fix beyond a general collaboration with Boeing and regulators. However, the rigorous certification and inspection processes required before returning these aircraft to service indicate a substantial remediation effort. This allows FedEx to continue relying on its MD-11Fs as a core part of its airfreight network through the near to mid-term future.
With the MD-11Fs back in operation, FedEx strengthens its position ahead of one of the busiest cargo seasons of the year. Maintaining this fleet supports the carrier’s ability to handle predictable surges in shipment volumes, which is critical in today's global supply chain environment. The measured retirement timeline also provides operational stability while the industry gradually transitions toward newer, more efficient freighter models.
Read more
All Aviation Safety →
Ukrainian MiG-29 destroyed after catching fire during missile launch over Odesa
A Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 was destroyed on the evening of August 10, 2026, after the fighter caught fire while launching an air-to-air missile over Odesa Oblast, southern Ukraine. In a statement published on its Telegram channel , the Ukrainian Air Force said the pilot had been flying a mission to destroy Russian aerial targets over the region when the aircraft was lost. According to preliminary data, a "non-standard situation" occurred during the launch of an air-to-air missile, causing the aircraft to catch fire and the pilot to lose control. The pilot attempted to save the aircraft before ejecting, the service said. He was recovered and evacuated to a medical facility. The causes of the incident are being established. Ukrainian MiG-29s use Soviet-designed R-73 infrared-guided and R-27R radar-guided air-to-air missiles, although the Ukrainian Air Force did not identify the weapon involved in the accident. The crash is the fourth Ukrainian combat aircraft loss reported in under two months. On June 16, 2026, a Su-24M frontline bomber crashed in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, killing both crew members. Another MiG-29 was lost over Poltava Oblast on June 27, 2026 , with the pilot ejecting safely. On July 29, 2026, an F-16 went down after an in-flight emergency during an intercept mission, its pilot also ejecting. Ukraine has not disclosed the current size of its MiG-29 fleet. The Soviet-era airframes have been sustained since 2023 by aircraft and spares transferred from Poland and Slovakia, and adapted over the course of the war to carry Western munitions, including the US-made AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile . The type remains central to Ukrainian air defense, flying repeated intercept sorties against Russian cruise missiles and one-way attack drones targeting cities including Odesa. Ukraine's Air Force confirmed the loss of a MiG-29 fighter during a combat mission against enemy aerial targets over Odesa Oblast on August 10. Preliminary information indicates an abnormal situation occurred during an air-launched missile firing, after which the aircraft caught… pic.twitter.com/UG78RAq9QL — NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) August 10, 2026 Poland talks over 14 additional MiG-29s resume Poland, which delivered 14 MiG-29s to Ukraine from April 2023 in the first transfer of combat aircraft by any NATO country, retains 14 more at Mińsk Mazowiecki, upgraded between 2011 and 2014 and in better condition than the ex-Czech and ex-German airframes it sent first. Warsaw has negotiated their handover since December 2025 in exchange for Ukrainian drone technology. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz declared the arrangement dead on June 29, 2026, saying Kyiv had accepted it and then failed to deliver. Talks have since resumed, and Deputy Defense Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said on July 31, 2026, that Ukraine had submitted a specific list of systems it could provide, with a decision due within weeks. Bulgaria has separately asked to buy the jets. No immediate relief for Ukraine's fighter fleet Ukrainian Air Force F-16 fighters fly over an undisclosed location. (Credit: Ukraine Ministry of Defense) The Ukrainian Air Force has previously said it would need 120 to 130 F-16s to reach parity with Russian aviation, a figure far above the number of Western fighters delivered so far. Ukrainian F-16s, which have accounted for more than 1,000 aerial targets since entering combat in August 2024, and Mirage 2000-5s remain committed primarily to the same air defense mission the MiG-29 was flying when it was lost. Long-term reinforcement plans are taking shape, but they offer no immediate relief to the aging aircraft now carrying much of Ukraine's air defense burden. Saab signed a contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration on June 30, 2026 , for 16 Gripen E fighters destined for Ukraine, worth approximately SEK 24.6 billion ($2.5 billion), with deliveries scheduled for 2029 and 2030. Sweden has separately committed to donate 16 used Gripen C/D aircraft, with transfers expected to begin in early 2027. Paris and Kyiv followed on July 13, 2026, signing a bilateral defense roadmap covering an initial batch of 16 Dassault Rafale fighters for delivery in 2028 and 2029, alongside SAMP/T NG batteries, radars and production licenses for AASM, SCALP-EG and Aster munitions. Both orders are opening tranches of much larger letters of intent, for up to 150 Gripen E signed in October 2025 and up to 100 Rafale signed in November 2025 .
North Carolina EMS uses Pivotal BlackFly eVTOL for rapid first response missions
Quinn Reece, a paramedic with Hyde County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in North Carolina, is not your average first responder. Recently, Reece responded to a 911 call about 20 minutes faster than an ambulance. The seemingly impossible feat was enabled by a unique aircraft that lifts off vertically like a helicopter but tilts forward to fly on fixed wings. Pivotal's BlackFly , a prototype of the company's planned Helix, is a Part 103 eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) ultralight that several private owners and the U.S. Air Force have already flown . The BlackFly and Helix are single-seat models marketed primarily for recreational use. But the California-based manufacturer may have found another application—"saving lives," CEO Ken Karklin told FLYING . "We've been very focused on finding the best utility for this craft," Karklin said. "And one mission that consistently rose to the top was that of taking advantage of the simplified flight controls—cross-training paramedics, technicians, emergency physicians, EMS chiefs." The BlackFly's pilot controls—comrpising a joystick, digital displays, and fly-by-wire system—are designed to be simple enough that a new pilot could master them within weeks or days. Pivotal said Hyde County paramedics completed more than 300 training and proficiency flights before Reece used the BlackFly to respond to real emergency calls under public aircraft operations (PAO). The partners believe Hyde County is first in the nation to deploy eVTOL aircraft for real-world EMS. Officials dispatched the BlackFly for two calls, allowing Reece to begin advanced life support (ALS) while she and the caller waited for an ambulance. Pivotal said it believes helicopters will remain indispensable for patient transport. But eVTOL aircraft could keep patients stable while they await one. Karklin said the partners took a "very conservative approach" and deferred a "long list of potential 911 dispatches" to ambulances, opting for safety over scale. But he added that the initial deployment gives Pivotal a "playbook" to "clone" or "stress-test" the operation in other North Carolina towns that have different terrain or higher call volumes. Months of Preparation Brook Cox, chief of Hyde County EMS, grew up in the Chapel Hill area of western North Carolina, which has a robust hospital system. Cox said that shortly after becoming chief, she requested a helicopter that took hours to arrive and was unable to land once it did. Pivotal described Hyde County as "one of North Carolina's largest and most geographically challenging EMS response areas." "I thought to myself, why is it that the eastern part of North Carolina can't get the same options that we did [in Chapel Hill]?" she said. The experience prompted Cox to explore more "creative ways" of improving response times. Deploying eVTOL aircraft was "one of the projects that I chose to fight on first," she said. Pivotal and Hyde County EMS announced their partnership in March, and the partners quickly got to work. Even among eVTOLs, the BlackFly is unique. While many models incorporate tilting rotors, the entire BlackFly airframe tilts when transitioning from vertical to forward flight. Karklin said the training that Pivotal provides in California "falls considerably short" of what an EMS pilot would need. That required Hyde County paramedics to complete hundreds of preparational flights during "near daily operation." The trainees familiarized themselves with the aircraft's range and endurance (about 20 miles or 20 minutes) as well as its limitations in wind and rain. They learned how to judge ideal landing spots from the air and catalogued potential sites. The eVTOL paramedics even studied old 911 calls, using them to reproduce real flights and landing areas. Personnel had to get into the mindset of being aviators in the air and first responders after landing. EMS helicopter pilots typically do not also provide care at the scene. "Patient care comes after you land," Karklin said. Hyde County EMS paramedic Quinn Reece gives a thumbs-up from the seat of a Pivotal BlackFly. [Credit: Pivotal] The Pivotal chief said the BlackFly is "cloud connected," which allowed personnel to examine flight data after each sortie. Across months of training, teams studied different BlackFly placements to find an optimal dispatch location that would get the most out of the aircraft. Cox credited the program's partners, Code Blue Resources and Akute Networks, with helping it "run like a well-oiled machine." Code Blue recruited pilots while Akute served as aviation program manager, developing an operational framework and flight rules. Akute provided services under direct contract with Hyde County on a fractional basis, a model Karklin said could easily be replicated elsewhere. Getting county leaders and the FAA on board was another obstacle. Hyde County had to establish a safety management system, go and no-go criteria, maintenance routines, and an understanding of when versus when not to deploy aircraft. The county Sheriff's office delegated those responsibilities to Cox, who brought stakeholders together for dinners to build a sense of community. "It was a little bit of educating and then reeducating of what the job roles were, responsibilities," she said. Karklin said the process entailed a "lot of back and forth" with the FAA, which had "more than a few issues" with permitting the Hyde County Sheriff's Office proposed PAO. It also required negotiation with officials at the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), whom he said "went from skeptics to complete fans." Karklin said rural, non-cooperative air traffic managers in the region "were not that excited about this, and they let the FSDO know." "You've got to win some hearts and souls," he said. "That took some real time, and it didn't necessarily start out in the most collaborative way." New Kind of First Response Karklin said Pivotal and Hyde County began with four pilots in training, but Reece flew both operational missions. "In the end, we are hopeful we provided a tool that our EMS first responders can take advantage of to get better outcomes," he said. Reece piloted the BlackFly directly to GPS coordinates near each scene. She was the sole EMS provider aboard the aircraft and carried with her a cardiac monitor, airway supplies, and primary response bag. One of the two missions saw Reece land directly in the caller's yard. The BlackFly is designed to land on grass, asphalt, and "other suitable surfaces" according to Pivotal, including water when the aircraft is equipped with floats. It is also quieter and produces less downwash than a helicopter, per the company. On one occasion, Reece used her aerial vantage point to guide an ambulance to a caller's address after it got lost. Cox said the EMS department relies on a computer-aided dispatch system that produced inaccurate pings. "She guided and even advised the telecommunicators of the right location, because it was not pinging where it was supposed to be pinging," Cox said. Cox said the time that it took to negotiate with the FAA and FSDO "ate into the proof of concept," which was planned to include more real-world flights. But she said the BlackFly "gave us that extra edge" to bring the department's response time closer to the national average. What's Next? From a crawl-walk-run perspective, Karklin said Pivotal is "maybe out of the crawl phase…we're almost ready to graduate to walking, but not yet." For example, he said the FAA required it to demonstrate an equivalent level of safety to other aircraft. To comply, the company assigned half of the BlackFly's energy margin to reserves, which limited its range and ability to fight through wind. Karklin added that there is a "silver lining" to the exercise—Pivotal has not yet validated a supported engineering configuration for the EMS BlackFly. He said the company plans to certify the model under Part 91, which would permit more weight and enable th
Multiple unknown drones breach restricted airspace at Australian F-35 base
The incident is the latest in a string of drone incursions into secure facilities around the world. The air base housing some of Australia’s most sensitive military aircraft was overflown by multiple drones of unknown origin over the course of three days. RAAF Williamtown in New South Wales is home to the bulk of Australia’s inventory of Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighters, as well as the country’s Boeing E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control jets. The facility is collocated with the Newcastle commercial airport. Multiple airspace breaches were logged at Williamtown between 11 and 13 July, according to reporting from The Daily Telegraph . Australia’s minister for defence industry, Pat Conroy, acknowledged the incident in a 10 August interview with broadcaster ABC Newcastle . Conroy describes the incursions as “UAS activity over the airport”. “This is sadly something we’re seeing more often, people operating drones near airports, both civilian and military airports,” he adds. Conroy declines to address specific questions about the incident, such as the number and type of drones involved or the impact on either military or civil operations. The Telegraph report claims the Australian Defence Force does not know who was operating the UAS or what the reason was for the incursion. Military personnel at Williamtown apparently resorted to closing the window blinds at base facilities and calling the New South Wales (NSW) police for assistance. An investigation into the matter by the NSW police is now complete, according to Conroy. The defence industry minister adds that Canberra enacted regulatory changes last year to allow Australian military personnel to “seize, disable or destroy drones” and that the government is investing A$7 million ($4.9 million) in new counter-UAS equipment. Actually stopping marauding quadcopters can prove difficult in practice, particularly in civil airspace. While a range of kinetic, directed-energy and electronic warfare measures can be deployed in combat zones, such systems can also pose a risk to commercial aviation, potentially requiring protracted and disruptive ground stops. In February, the civil regulators at the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a hasty closure of the airspace around El Paso, Texas, which included halting flight operations at El Paso International airport. It was later reported that the FAA ordered the ground stop after the Pentagon and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deployed a counter-drone laser weapon to the area around El Paso, which sits on the US-Mexico border. The laser’s deployment was a response to drone activity in the area linked to Mexican drug cartels, according to the Trump administration. CBP fired the directed-energy system at what later turned out to be an innocuous party balloon, according to reporting from The New York Times, without coordinating with the FAA. Drone incursions are a growing issue at secure facilities around the world, both military and civilian. Earlier this month, a drone carrying an explosive device impacted a cargo aircraft at Leipzig-Halle airport in Germany but failed to detonate. A second UAS was discovered on the ground carrying a detonator and explosive device. A police bomb disposal unit was able to disarm the device.
Trump Secretly Boarded Different Aircraft After NATO Summit Amid Iran Threat
President Donald Trump secretly exited Air Force One and boarded a different military aircraft before beginning his journey back from a NATO summit in Turkey in July, according to a Washington Post report. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the newspaper said the switch-up was prompted by a threat on the president's life from Iran. The apparent last-minute decision to use the older, robin's egg blue-and-white Air Force One instead of a jet gifted to Trump by Qatar last year sparked intense speculation about the president's safety while in Turkey and possible limitations on the Qatari aircraft's air defense capabilities. The Post is the first outlet to assert that Trump used neither jet and instead boarded a Boeing C-32, a military variant of the 757 that mainly carries the vice president, first lady, and secretary of state. The president's security detail allegedly devised a complex ruse to make it appear as though Trump actually was on the older Air Force One. Trump boarded the airplane in full view of news cameras but was secretly shuttled to the C-32 using an airport catering truck. Reporters and even some White House staff were unaware of the switch and were led to believe they were on the same aircraft as the president. Trump flew on the C-32 to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the U.K., where he visited with U.S. troops. Photographers captured Trump exiting Air Force One at the base, suggesting he reboarded the aircraft at some point after landing to maintain the deception. The president flew the rest of the way to Washington, D.C., using the new Air Force One. The Trump administration did not confirm or entirely deny the Post's story. "As the president has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats," White House communications director Steven Cheung told the Associated Press . Neither the Secret Service nor the Air Force have commented on the report. The Qatari jet, now known as the VC-25B Bridge, entered service as the new Air Force One in early July. The aircraft is intended to serve as a stopgap for Boeing's VC-25B, the next official incarnation of Air Force One, which is set for delivery in 2028, the final full year of Trump's second term. Trump has made no secret of his disappointment with Boeing for repeated delays in the VC-25B program. Upon reentering office in 2025, he began lobbying for a new aircraft to replace the 35-year-old VC-25A, which he considers badly outdated. The gift of a Boeing 747-8 from the Qatari government solved this problem for the White House, even while raising ethics and national security concerns on Capitol Hill. The VC-25A, which has served every president since George H.W. Bush, was on track for retirement, but it unexpectedly appeared in Ankara during the NATO summit July 7-8. Trump said at the time that he would use it on the trip back for "old time's sake." The new Air Force One was sent ahead to Mildenhall so the troops there could get a good look at it, he said. Subsequent reports from the Post and The New York Times suggested that Trump opted not to use the VC-25B Bridge because it may lack some of the defensive capabilities found on the VC-25A. The U.S. was carrying out strikes on Iran at the time of the summit, raising the risk of retaliation from Tehran. Turkey and Iran share a border, and Iran has shown it can strike targets farther away than Ankara with its missiles. The new report from the Post could suggest that the threat from Iran was especially credible or urgent, requiring another layer of subterfuge to get the president out of Turkey. Later in July, Trump said the VC-25B Bridge will be taken out of service to be "maxed out." He did not elaborate on what that would entail. The VC-25A will be used for the president's international flights in the meantime.
The Daily Touch & Go
The day's best aviation news in your inbox. Free, no spam.