Page 50 - World Airnews Magazine March 2021

NEWS DIGITAL

WHY THE MD-11

WAS MORE

SUCCESSFUL AS A

CARGO AIRCRAFT

By Chris Loh

The trijet McDonnell Douglas MD-11 took its maiden
flight a little over 31 years ago. However, the aircraft is
only active with four airlines these days – all of them cargo
operators.
Despite once being flown by passenger airlines around the
world such as Finnair, KLM, Japan Airlines, and VARIG, the jet
no longer takes on a passenger role.
So why was the MD-11 more successful as a cargo aircraft?

THE MD-11 WAS NEVER THAT POPULAR
The MD-11 programme was officially launched at the end
of 1986. Its release was met with orders from 12 customers
for a total of 52 units, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In total, however, just 200 would end up being built during a
production period that would last just over 10 years.
Its slightly smaller predecessor, the DC-10, at least notched
nearly 450 deliveries, while even the relatively unpopular
Airbus A340 was able to achieve 375 deliveries over its nine
years of production.
However, data from Planespotters.net indicates that about
107 MD-11s are listed as active. What’s more, global shipping
company UPS announced last year it was acquiring more of
the type. For an aircraft that ended production two decades
ago, that’s quite impressive.

EFFICIENCY DOESN’T MATTER Perhaps the two biggest reasons that the MD-11 is doing well as a
cargo jet (especially in 2020 and 2021) is its low-cost of acquisition
While the aircraft’s three engines make it less efficient and more combined with its high capacity.
fuel-hungry, this is a much smaller concern for cargo operators. As CAPA noted last April, “extending the leases on its elderly MD-
That’s because cargo aircraft tend to fly less frequently than 11Fs would be a lower-cost way for Lufthansa Cargo to maintain
passenger aircraft do, meaning that differences in efficiency don’t freighter capacity than replacing them with more modern aircraft.”
accumulate and compound in the same way as aircraft in pas- When compared to a 777F, the MD-11 would only be able to
senger service. This is why you’ll see cargo airlines operate older carry 81% of the load capacity (534 vs. 653 cubic meters). However,
Boeing 747s, 767s, 757s, Airbus A300s, and of course, MD-11s. the latter would also end up being cheaper and more readily
But fuel efficiency (or lack thereof) is just one thing to consider. available when compared to the newer 777F.
The other big factor is maintenance. In general, cargo airlines Although more efficient in the long run, converting a passenger
can pursue older jets because their aircraft will tend to fly less 777 into a cargo version would take time and ultimately cost more
frequently for longer distances. This equates to fewer pressuriza- than an MD-11. That makes the latter a more attractive option for
tion cycles and lowers some maintenance requirements. the time being. This is especially true right now when belly hold
So we’ve explained some of the general factors that make some capacity is low with passenger flights down significantly. Freight
very old jets useful for freight service. What is it about the MD-11 companies have a limited window of time to capitalize on the
specifically that has made it successful as a cargo jet? demand for cargo aircraft, and the old MD-11 helps them achieve
this. Q
HIGH CAPACITY, LOW ACQUISITION COST Article courtesy: https://simpleflying.com/

World Airnews | March Extra 2021
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