UPS Airlines
| File:United Parcel Service logo.svg | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 1988 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubs | "Worldport" Asia/Pacific:
United States: | ||||||
| Fleet size | 229 | ||||||
| Destinations | 766 (388 domestic, 378 international) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Louisville, Kentucky | ||||||
| Key people | Mitch Nichols (President)[1] | ||||||
| Website | Airlines-UPS Pressroom | ||||||
UPS Airlines is an American cargo airline owned by United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS). The company is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.[3] Its headquarters, Worldport, is based at Louisville International Airport. The pilots are represented by the Independent Pilots Association.
History
Early years
The origin of transporting packages by air for UPS (then United Parcel Service) dates to 1929; much like the U.S Postal Service, UPS packages were transported as baggage on commercial airline flights.[4] Many packages were shipped by the Ford Trimotors of United Airlines. After Black Friday and the beginning of the Great Depression, the air service would be discontinued by the end of 1931. However, the air service would lead to the expansion beyond the West Coast; in 1930, the company moved operations from Oakland to New York City and established operations in other regions across the country as well.
After World War II, UPS (in the process of acquiring common carrier rights for every address in the United States) revisited the idea of shipping packages by air. Starting in 1953, 2-day delivery was offered on coast-to-coast packages; the service was called Blue Label Air. As before, volume was transported via commercial flights. Initially unprofitable, Blue Label Air became popular as its speed created enough demand to maintain a profit.
1975-1988
In 1975, UPS started its first international operations as it moved into Canada; the next year, it started service in Germany.[5] As UPS had become a truly international company, the need for its own fleet of aircraft was becoming imminent rather than relying on commercial flights. Additionally, competitor Federal Express, with its own jet fleet, was making inroads on UPS and had become profitable for the first time in 1976. In 1978, the Airline Deregulation Act gave UPS a significant opportunity: the company could now establish its own airline and flying from city to city would require far fewer legislative hurdles, as the federal government now encouraged competition between airlines. In 1980, UPS opened its first major hub, located in Louisville, Kentucky; the location was chosen largely because it is three hours flying distance (by jet) from the majority of the continental United States. Also in the early 1980s, the company began acquiring a fleet of jet aircraft recently retired from commercial aircraft duty; it was composed of Douglas DC-8s, Boeing 727-100s, and Boeing 747-100s.
1988-2000
In 1988, UPS Airlines was founded; at the time of its founding, UPS had a route network serving 41 countries connecting the United States to Asia and Europe. During the 1990s, the airline expanded its jet fleet with all-new aircraft. The first of its 75 Boeing 757-200s was delivered starting in 1987, while 32 767-300s were delivered beginning in 1995. In the 1990s, the airline began to expand its network beyond the Louisville hub with facilities in Rockford, Illinois, Philadelphia, Dallas, Columbia, South Carolina, and Ontario, California.
As the jet fleet flies primarily on weekdays, UPS was eager to find ways to for its aircraft to produce income other ways. In the 1990s, eight 727s were converted (at a cost of $2.5 million each) into 727-100QC (QC=Quick Change) freighters that were able to be converted into passenger aircraft for the purpose of charters.
2000-present
In 2000, the UPS airline fleet saw another major addition, as the first of 90 Airbus A300 freighters entered service; these marked the first non-Boeing/Douglas aircraft in the fleet. In 2001, the airline ended its passenger service, focusing exclusively on freight service. In April 2001, the airline made its first flights to China, six days a week.[6] In 2003, the aircraft saw a change in livery as United Parcel Service officially became UPS and the tail logo (a design seen since 1961) was redesigned.
During the 2000s, the makeup of the UPS Airlines fleet changed considerably. In the mid-2000s, the oldest and lowest-capacity aircraft, the Boeing 727s, were retired. From 2008 to 2009, the airline phased out its 747-100, 747-200, and DC-8 fleet; at the time, nearly half of the world's active DC-8 fleet was operated by the company.
In April 2010, UPS completed its expansion of Worldport in Louisville, after five years of construction.
On February 8, 2010 UPS announced the plans to furlough at least 300 pilots in 2010 and 2011, cancelling the agreement reached in 2009 between UPS and the Independent Pilots Association.[7] UPS has furloughed 108 pilots as of April 2011. The last pilot was furloughed in August 2010 and additional furloughs have been cancelled, according to UPS.[8]
Destinations
UPS flies to more than 200 countries and territories around the world, serving 388 U.S. airports with 936 flight segments, and 378 international airports with 755 flight segments daily.[1] Most UPS Airlines flights go through the UPS Worldport at Louisville International Airport. In addition to Worldport, UPS Airlines operates regionally-focused hubs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ontario, California, Dallas, Texas, Rockford, Illinois, and Columbia, South Carolina. Philadelphia is the main transatlantic hub for flights to Europe. Other hubs in North America include Hamilton, Ontario and Miami, Florida. Internationally, UPS operates hubs in Cologne, Germany, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, China.
| Major Hubs of UPS Airlines | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Airport | Service Area | Ramp Size | Parking Positions | Daily Flights (average) |
| Louisville, Kentucky (Worldport) |
Louisville International Airport (Standiford Field) | Worldwide (over 200 countries) | 300 acres (120 ha) | 135 | 251 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (East Coast Region Air Hub) |
Philadelphia International Airport | Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont; portions of California, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia | 49.7 acres (20.1 ha) | 21 | 44 |
| Ontario, California (West Coast Region Air Hub) |
LA/Ontario International Airport | Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, Utah, Washington and Wyoming; portions of Kansas and Nebraska | 156 acres (63 ha) | 21 | 38 |
| Dallas, Texas (Southwest Region Air Hub) |
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport | Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Washington; portions of New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Virginia | 18 acres (7.3 ha) | 17 | 23 |
| Rockford, Illinois (Rockford Regional Air Hub) |
Chicago Rockford International Airport | Colorado, Connecticut, Rhode Island; portions of Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Texas, Washington and Washington, D.C. | 50 acres (20 ha) | 40 | 30 |
| Columbia, South Carolina (Southeast Region Air Hub) |
Columbia Metropolitan Airport | Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee | 35 acres (14 ha) | 14 | 10 |
| Miami, Florida | Miami International Airport | Southern United States Central and South America |
14.84 acres (6.01 ha) | 9 | 24 |
| Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport | Canada (nationwide) | 4.9 acres (2.0 ha) | - | 24 |
| Cologne/Bonn, Germany | Cologne Bonn Airport | Over 200 countries worldwide | 18.7 acres (7.6 ha) | 64 | 76 |
| Shenzhen, China | Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport | Asia to Asia, Asia to world, world to Asia | - | - | 13 |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok Airport) | Asia to Europe, Europe to Asia | - | - | 11 |
| Shanghai, China | Shanghai Pudong International Airport | China to world, world to China | - | - | 12 |
Fleet
As of June 2012, UPS Airlines has an active fleet of 230 aircraft[9] with an average age of 14.2 years,[10] and another 9 aircraft on order. In addition, the airline charters 296 aircraft.[1]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300-600RF | |||
| Boeing 747-400BDSF | |||
| Boeing 747-400F | |||
| Boeing 757-200PF | |||
| Boeing 767-300F | Additional aircraft entering service 2009-2012 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11F | |||
| Total | 230 | 9 |
In January 2005, UPS Airlines placed an order for 10 freighter versions of the Airbus A380 with an option for 10 more; as part of the deal, the airline reduced an existing commitment for 90 Airbus A300 freighters to 53.[11] In March 2007, the order was cancelled, citing production delays that pushed the initial delivery date beyond 2012.[12] In August 2005, the airline ordered 8 Boeing 747-400's to increase capacity on its major trunk routes to Europe, Asia, and North America. Deliveries of these started in June 2007.[13] UPS Airlines placed a firm order for 27 additional Boeing 767–300 Freighters in February 2007 to be delivered 2009 to 2012.[14]
Use of Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) to save fuel
UPS Airlines is experimenting with a Global Positioning System-based landing procedure, called Continuous-Descent Approach at the Worldport, replacing the traditional holding pattern and step-wise descent. CDA is used to reduce the time and fuel needed to approach a runway and land by eliminating the need to alternatively reduce and increase throttle to descend and level off. UPS Airlines estimates that this procedure saves an average of 250 to 465 lbs (110–210 kilograms) of fuel per flight. CDA is part of the Federal Aviation Administration's long-term "Next-Gen" air traffic control plan.[15]
Major incidents and accidents
- On September 11, 1998, Flight 744, N316UP, a Boeing 767–300, suffered substantial damage after running off the runway at Ellington Field from Louisville International Airport. The airport was experiencing a major storm at the time of the landing, and the aircraft was unable to stop on a wet runway with a strong tailwind. After running off the runway, the aircraft's right landing gear broke off and the right engine separated from the wing. The aircraft was put back into service after major repairs.[16]
- On June 7, 2005, Flight 6971, N250UP, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, suffered substantial damage after a landing gear collapse at Louisville International Airport from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The crew accidentally lowered the nose of the aircraft too quickly, buckling the front landing gear. The aircraft was put back into service after a $10 million repair.[17]
- On February 8, 2006, Flight 1307, N748UP, a Douglas DC-8, was destroyed by fire at Philadelphia International Airport from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Just before landing the crew reported a smoke detector activated in the cargo hold. After landing, the cargo hold of the aircraft caught fire. The source of the fire was never found.[18]
- On September 3, 2010, Flight 6,[19] N571UP, a Boeing 747-400F, crashed near the Dubai Silicon Oasis at approximately 7:45pm local time after declaring an emergency fifty minutes after takeoff. Both crew members were killed, the first such casualties in UPS' history.[20] On 6 November 2010 Agence France-Presse released the Arabic Al-Qaeda statement that the crash was due to on-board explosion of an air package collected in Yemen, to date this has not been proven.[21]
See also
- Aviation
- United Parcel Service (Parent company)
References
- ^ a b c d e f "UPS Air Operations Facts - UPS Pressroom". Pressroom.ups.com. 2008-12-15. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
- ^ "UPS launches Shenzhen flights". Ups.com. February 8, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
- ^ "Special Delivery: UPS Moving Ancient Terra Cotta Army." United Parcel Service. May 5, 2008. Retrieved on June 19, 2010. "UPS air operations are headquartered in Louisville, Ky.,"
- ^ "1918 - UPS Pressroom". Pressroom.ups.com. 2008-12-15. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
- ^ "1975 - UPS Pressroom". Pressroom.ups.com. 2008-12-15. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
- ^ UPS Timeline
- ^ "UPS Starts Pilot Furlough Process". UPS Website. February 8, 2010.
- ^ "UPS Airlines Information". Airline Pilot Central. April 11, 2011.
- ^ "UPS fleet list at". planespotters.net. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
- ^ "UPS fleet age at". Airfleets.net. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
- ^ "Internet Archive Wayback Machine". Web.archive.org. 2006-12-09. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "Internet Archive Wayback Machine". Web.archive.org. 2007-12-18. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ UPS press release, August 17, 2005
- ^ "Press Release". UPS. February 5, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-02-09. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ Getting Air Traffic Under Control, Time Magazine, October 19, 2009, p.Global 8
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 767-34AF N316UP Houston-Ellington Field, TX (EFD)". Aviation-safety.net. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas MD-11F N250UP Louisville-Standiford Field, KY (SDF)". Aviation-safety.net. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-8-71F N748UP Philadelphia International Airport, PA (PHL)". Aviation-safety.net. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
- ^ "Statement on Aircraft Incident." United Parcel Service. September 3, 2010. Retrieved on September 3, 2010.
- ^ "Plane crashes near Dubai airport – Middle East". Al Jazeera English. September 4, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
- ^ "Arabic "Al-Qaeda" confirmed UPS cargo plane blowing up (Аравийская "Аль-Каеда" созналась в подрыве самолета UPS)". Lenta.ru. November 6, 2010.
External links
- Airlines-UPS Pressroom-UPS Website with UPS Airlines information
