#freighter

McDonnell Douglas MD-11 Lufthansa Cargo / UPS Airlines

Registration: D-ALCN / N262UP Type: MD-11 F Engines: 3 × GE CF6-80C2D1F Serial Number: 48806 First flight: Sep 14, 2000

On January 25, 2001, the last MD-11 rolled off the assembly line — manufacturer's serial number 48806. At Lufthansa Cargo, it was registered as D-ALCN. Thirty years of production of the MD-11 family, tracing back to the DC-10, came to a close without much fanfare.

Lufthansa Cargo began operating the MD-11 in 1998, replacing its 747-200F fleet. At its peak, the German carrier operated 19 of them, including aircraft acquired from Alitalia and VASP. But by the early 2010s, Lufthansa Cargo had already begun a planned transition to the Boeing 777F. As the German fleet was renewed, MD-11s made their way across the Atlantic to American cargo carriers — UPS Airlines, FedEx Express, and Western Global Airlines. D-ALCN followed suit in late 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic briefly slowed the retirement process, prompting Lufthansa Cargo to hold on to its last six aircraft of the type a little longer. The final flight, LH8161, was operated on October 17, 2021, by D-ALCC — the last commercial MD-11 flight in Lufthansa Cargo livery after 23 years of service.

By the early 2020s, every flying MD-11 had converged in the United States. FedEx operated 55, UPS had 42, and Western Global flew 11. The fleet was slowly but steadily winding down, giving way to twin-engine 777Fs and 767Fs. It seemed the type would simply fade away quietly. Then the Louisville disaster on November 4, 2025 brought MD-11 operations to an abrupt halt. On November 8, the FAA grounded the entire type pending inspections.

UPS announced the permanent retirement of its entire 27-aircraft fleet and wrote off $137 million. Among those aircraft was the former D-ALCN, by then registered as N262UP. Western Global, whose fleet was built around the MD-11, had no choice but to furlough its entire MD-11 pilot workforce — around 70 aviators. FedEx chose a wait-and-see approach and is targeting a return to service by May 2026.

Never quite winning over passenger airlines, the MD-11 found its true calling in cargo, where it served faithfully for 30 years. The aircraft suited freight operations far better than it ever did the passenger world. Three engines are no problem when the payload doesn't need windows, and fuel burn is measured per ton rather than per seat. Built in a run of exactly 200 aircraft, it was the last commercial airliner to bear the Douglas name — and the last three-engine wide-body ever to enter service.

Airframe 48806 was the last. A status of "stored" still leaves open the possibility of a return to the skies with another operator. Time will tell.