U.S. cargo carriers say the Federal Aviation Administration’s phased flight reductions are landing with a softer touch on express networks than on daytime passenger operations. The order trims domestic schedules at 40 high-traffic airports — beginning with a 4% cut on Friday, moving to 6% and 8% early this week, and reaching 10% on November 14 — while leaving international services intact. Because the curbs apply to roughly 6 a.m.–10 p.m. local hours, most overnight freighter banks are largely outside the restriction window.
FedEx underscored that point, saying the bulk of its flights operate at night and that it has adjusted schedules to keep time-critical freight moving, with contingency plans to flex its air–ground network. UPS has conveyed similar confidence to customers. For shippers, that means near-term disruption is likely to cluster around domestic belly capacity and daytime feeder flights rather than the big overnight express pushes.
That said, the map of affected markets still includes several cargo-heavy nodes — from Memphis and Louisville to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Anchorage, Indianapolis and Ontario, California — where even modest daytime cuts can ripple into ramp windows, airport drayage, and tender/collection times. Forwarders and airport handlers are advising customers to build slack into pick-ups, especially for freight that uses passenger belly lift or connects across daytime banks.
What could matter more for air capacity in the coming days is a separate safety action. After Tuesday’s fatal UPS crash in Louisville, operators of MD-11 freighters have temporarily grounded the type following manufacturer guidance and an emergency inspection directive from regulators. UPS has about 27 MD‑11s (roughly 9% of its fleet) and FedEx operates 28, and both carriers said they are rerouting volume and accelerating contingency plans while inspections proceed. Any prolonged stand-down will pinch widebody lift at the margins — especially on lanes where the tri-jet still does heavy lifting — and may push additional volume to other aircraft or to the road.
For a trucking audience, the signal is clear: even if the FAA caps don’t directly choke the biggest nighttime freighter banks, the combination of daytime airport constraints and the MD‑11 pause is likely to send more freight to expedited surface options. Expect tighter lead times on airport transfers, more late-evening/overnight pick-up requests aligned to revised sort schedules, and a bump in demand for team-driven, time-definite moves on dense hub-to-hub lanes serving MEM, SDF, CVG, IND and SoCal’s Inland Empire. Spot opportunities should be most pronounced around pharmaceutical, medical device and other high-service commodities that integrators have pledged to prioritize through the disruption.
Near-term playbook for shippers and carriers: shift tenders toward nocturnal flights where possible; pre-clear airport access and dock times a day ahead; stage trailers closer to gateways to absorb schedule shifts; and keep alternative gateways in play for domestic belly cargo that normally rides passenger flights. If you handle linehaul for parcel networks, monitor day-by-day ramp plans through November 14 as the FAA reductions build to their peak — and keep capacity flexible through the holiday surge.
Sources: FreightWaves, Reuters, Supply Chain Dive, Air Cargo News, The Washington Post, Business Insider, UPI, FedEx Newsroom, InfoMarine
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