10 Hull Losses Since 1990: Why The MD-11 Has The Worst Safety Record Of Any US Widebody
May 24, 2026
Simple Flying
The global air cargo industry is facing a fleet replacement problem that has been building for years. The Boeing 747 freighter, which has served as the backbone of heavy air freight operations since the 1970s, is aging out of service across major carriers, and the factory-built alternatives have not been a complete substitute. The Boeing 777-200F, the primary twin-engine heavy freighter in production, carries meaningfully less volume than the 747s it is meant to replace, creating a gap on the volume-constrained e-commerce routes that now drive much of the industry’s growth.