FedEx plans MD-11 cargo plane return by May 31 following UPS accident

FedEx said on Wednesday it is working with Boeing and U.S. aircraft safety regulators to return to service by May 31 the MD-11 cargo planes it grounded after the deadly crash of one of those jets operated by United Parcel Service in November.

"We continue to work with Boeing and the FAA to address any required inspection and maintenance that may be needed to return our MD-11 aircraft safely to service," FedEx said, referring to the Federal Aviation Administration.

UPS on Tuesday said it retired its remaining MD-11 fleet of more than two dozen cargo jets at the end of last year, accelerating an existing plan. Replacement Boeing 767s are scheduled for delivery, UPS said.

Fifteen people, including three plane crew members, died in the fiery crash at Louisville Airport in an incident that led to the grounding of the MD-11 cargo jet model.

A cracked part found on the UPS cargo jet that crashed was flagged in a Boeing service letter more than a decade earlier, the National Transportation Safety Board said this month.