Western Global Airlines has furloughed all of its MD-11 pilots after the US aviation regulator ordered the temporary grounding of the aircraft type nationwide, placing the cargo carrier under mounting operational and financial pressure.
In an internal memo, Tom Romnios, vice-president of human resources at Western Global, said the airline had expected to secure approval for a “non-invasive” inspection protocol by 14 November.
Instead, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has required “highly invasive” inspections, along with repairs and parts replacements, extending the grounding of the fleet indefinitely.
The memo, posted on LinkedIn by pilot and podcast host Nik Fialka, warned staff that there was no timetable for the inspections to conclude.
Grounding triggered by fatal UPS crash
The FAA issued its emergency order on 8 November following a fatal MD-11 crash at UPS’s Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky, which killed 14 people and shut down operations overnight.
Before the directive, UPS had already grounded its 26 MD-11s—around 9% of its fleet—while FedEx followed suit with its 28 aircraft, representing roughly 4% of its fleet.
Smaller carrier faces disproportionate impact
Western Global, the only other US cargo airline operating the MD-11, owns 16 of the trijets—12 of which were already in storage. The carrier also operates three Boeing 747 freighters.
The grounding has hit Western Global significantly harder than its larger competitors, given its greater reliance on the aircraft type.
“This is devastating to WGA,” Romnios wrote. “Even though WGA has a perfect safety record, [the airline] is the most negatively affected by the UPS crash… The current situation is untenable, threatens the company’s survival, and leaves WGA no choice.”
Western Global employs 147 pilots, according to the Air Line Pilots Association, though the number affected by the furlough has not been confirmed.
Financial challenges mount
The carrier filed for bankruptcy protection in August 2023, emerging from Chapter 11 earlier this year. The ongoing grounding poses a renewed challenge to the firm’s recovery efforts.
UPS and FedEx, meanwhile, are attempting to adjust their air cargo networks to compensate for the temporary loss of MD-11 capacity.