FedEx Express is starting 2022 by bringing on more widebody capacity in the form of another MD-11F.
The 1999-vintage aircraft (48801), which left Victorville (VCV) and flew to FedEx’s MRO facility in Los Angeles (LAX) Dec. 30, had departed Frankfurt (FRA) for VCV in March 2020 after Lufthansa retired it from its fleet.

Apart from unit 48801, FedEx acquired three other ex-Lufthansa MD-11Fs (48785, 48798 and 48802) in 2019 and 2020 that are currently parked at VCV. The four aircraft, built in 1998, 1999 or 2000 and all with General Electric CF6-80C2 engines, are the youngest MD-11Fs in the FedEx fleet.
FedEx also reactivated three MD-11Fs in 2021 and has an active fleet of fifty-seven, excluding the ex-Lufthansa units.
The carrier, which could not immediately be reached for comment, is still flying eleven MD-10-30Fs but will retire four between now and the end of June, according to its latest stat book.
Sixteen of Lufthansa’s nineteen MD-11Fs have ended up with FedEx, UPS and Western Global Airlines, the three remaining operators of the type.
UPS acquired five and has put them all into service, while Western Global has seven, including three that it acquired in 2021. The first of those units (48781) entered into service in December.
Lufthansa ceased to be an MD-11F operator in October 2021.