The grounding of all MD-11F aircraft is not anticipated to significantly affect international cargo capacity, as the majority of these planes operate domestically.

Analysis by Stein Dijkstra, an analyst at Rotate Consultancy, reveals that 70% of MD-11F flights are conducted on domestic routes.

As a result, Rotate notes that these aircraft account for only 0.4% of international cargo capacity, implying limited direct impact from the grounding.

A more substantial effect would occur if FedEx and UPS decided to redeploy Boeing 747 and 777 freighters from international to domestic operations.

However, Rotate confirms this has not been the case so far. Instead, MD-11F operations have largely been absorbed by Boeing B767, Airbus A300, and Boeing B757 aircraft, facilitated by increased utilization of these models within integrators' domestic fleets.

The aircraft model was grounded earlier this month following a fatal incident involving a UPS plane that crashed after departing from Louisville on November 4.

Rotate data shows that in the week prior to the accident (October 27 – November 2), MD-11F aircraft completed 329 flights.

In the following week post-accident, the same route segment recorded 333 flights, with Boeing 767s replacing MD-11Fs as the primary aircraft.

Earlier this week, Western Global Airlines, which also operates MD-11Fs, warned that the grounding duration may extend beyond initial expectations.

Boeing had initially anticipated approving a "non-intrusive" inspection protocol to allow the aircraft to resume operations by November 14.

However, the manufacturer now states that additional "highly intrusive" inspections, along with necessary repairs and part replacements, will keep its MD-11F fleet grounded for an "undetermined" period.