FedEx and UPS run two of the world’s best-known cargo airlines. Both are “integrators”: they own the planes, the hubs and the delivery vans, so a parcel stays in one company’s network from pickup to door. The short answer: FedEx has the larger fleet (700 aircraft), while UPS flies the biggest single type, 30 Boeing 747-8Fs.
Here is how their airlines compare on fleet, hubs and aircraft, using each company’s latest annual report (Form 10-K) filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
FedEx vs UPS at a Glance
| FedEx (Federal Express) | UPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Fleet date | 31 May 2026 | 31 December 2025 |
| Aircraft in fleet | 700 (697 owned, 3 leased) | 295 owned or operated, plus 221 operated by others |
| Largest aircraft | Boeing 777F (59) | Boeing 747-8F (30) |
| Most common big jet | Boeing 767F (152) | Boeing 767-300 family (99) |
| Main air hub | Memphis, Tennessee | Worldport, Louisville, Kentucky |
| Other air hubs | Indianapolis; regional hubs in Fort Worth, Newark and Oakland | International hubs in Germany, China, Hong Kong, Canada and Florida |
| Countries served | More than 220 countries and territories | More than 200 countries and territories |
| MD-11s | 29, returning to service during 2026 | Retired in late 2025 |
Sources: FedEx Form 10-K for fiscal 2026; UPS Form 10-K for 2025.
Fleet by Aircraft Type
| Aircraft | FedEx | UPS | Max payload per aircraft (FedEx figure) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 747-8F | – | 30 | – |
| Boeing 747-400F / 747-400BCF | – | 11 / 2 | – |
| Boeing 777F | 59 | – | 233,300 lb (about 106 t) |
| Boeing MD-11 | 29 | Retired (26 listed) | 192,600 lb (about 87 t) |
| Boeing 767F / 767-300 family | 152 | 99 (89 + 6 BCF + 4 BDSF) | 127,100 lb (about 58 t) |
| Airbus A300-600 | 57 | 52 | 106,600 lb (about 48 t) |
| Boeing 757-200 | 86 | 75 | 63,000 lb (about 29 t) |
| ATR 72-600F / ATR 72 / ATR 42 | 27 / 19 / 16 | – | 19,290 / 17,970 / 12,070 lb |
| Cessna 408 / Cessna 208B | 39 / 216 | – | 6,000 / 2,830 lb |
| Total | 700 | 295 + 221 others |
Payloads are FedEx’s “maximum gross structural payload” figures; tonnes are FlyingFuel conversions. UPS does not give payloads in its report. BCF and BDSF are converted passenger jets.
FedEx: A Bigger, Wider Fleet
Federal Express pioneered express transportation in 1973 and now serves more than 220 countries and territories, according to its annual report. Its fleet of 700 aircraft covers every size of cargo plane:
- Big freighters: 59 Boeing 777Fs, 29 MD-11s, 152 Boeing 767Fs and 57 Airbus A300-600s, close to 300 widebody jets.
- Single-aisle jets: 86 Boeing 757-200s, a narrowbody type.
- Feeder planes: 62 ATR turboprops and 255 Cessnas (39 Cessna 408s and 216 Cessna 208Bs). FedEx says it contracts other companies to fly these smaller regional “feeder” aircraft.
Its main sorting hub is in Memphis, Tennessee, the centre of its hub-and-spoke system and worldwide air network. A second national air hub is in Indianapolis, with regional air hubs in Fort Worth, Newark and Oakland. FedEx retired 10 older aircraft in fiscal 2026 (four 757s, one A300 and five MD-11s) as part of shrinking and modernising its air network.
UPS: Fewer, Bigger Jets
UPS was founded in 1907 and serves more than 200 countries and territories. In 2025 it delivered an average of 20.8 million packages a day, according to its annual report. Its global air hub, Worldport, is in Louisville, Kentucky, supported by international air hubs in Germany, China, Hong Kong, Canada and Florida. UPS says this design lets it use fewer, larger and more fuel-efficient aircraft.
- Biggest jets: 30 Boeing 747-8Fs and 13 older 747-400 freighters.
- Workhorses: 99 Boeing 767-300s, including converted freighters, with 18 more 767-300s on order, plus 52 Airbus A300-600s and 75 Boeing 757-200s.
- Others’ aircraft: 221 aircraft flown for UPS under charters and leases by other operators, similar to a wet lease.
The MD-11 Grounding
Both airlines were hit when the US Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive in November 2025. It stopped every Boeing MD-11 from flying until it had been inspected and fixed.
- UPS permanently grounded and retired its MD-11 fleet in the fourth quarter of 2025, taking a $137 million charge.
- FedEx kept its MD-11s. After the FAA approved Boeing’s inspection and return-to-service steps, it began returning them to service in May 2026 and expects all 29 to be flying again by the end of 2026.
Which Is Bigger?
By number of aircraft, FedEx is clearly bigger: 700 aircraft against 295 that UPS owns or operates. FedEx also has more large widebody freighters. UPS, though, flies the largest aircraft of the two, the 747-8F, which Boeing designed for a maximum structural payload of 140 tonnes, more than any FedEx type. For how the 747-8F compares with other giants, see our list of the largest cargo planes in the world. For the airports that handle the most passengers and cargo, see the busiest airports in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many planes does FedEx have?
Federal Express had 700 aircraft at 31 May 2026, according to its annual report. They range from 59 Boeing 777Fs to 216 small Cessna 208B feeder planes, with five more aircraft not yet in service.
How many planes does UPS have?
UPS owned or operated 295 aircraft at 31 December 2025 and used 221 more through charters and leases operated by others. It had 18 Boeing 767-300s on order.
Which is bigger, FedEx or UPS airline?
By fleet, FedEx. Federal Express lists 700 aircraft, including about 300 large widebody freighters. UPS lists 295 owned or operated aircraft, plus 221 operated by others. UPS has the bigger single aircraft type: 30 Boeing 747-8Fs, which FedEx does not fly.
Where are the FedEx and UPS hubs?
FedEx’s main hub is in Memphis, Tennessee, with a second national hub in Indianapolis. UPS’s global air hub, Worldport, is in Louisville, Kentucky, with international air hubs in Germany, China, Hong Kong, Canada and Florida.
Why were MD-11s grounded?
In November 2025 the US FAA issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive that stopped all Boeing MD-11s from flying until they were inspected and fixed. UPS then retired its MD-11 fleet. FedEx began returning its 29 MD-11s to service in May 2026 and expects all of them back by the end of 2026.
What is the largest aircraft in the FedEx fleet?
The Boeing 777F. FedEx lists 59 of them, each with a maximum gross structural payload of 233,300 lb (about 106 tonnes).
Featured image: FlyingFuel graphic using a photo of a FedEx Boeing 777F by Can Pac Swire from Toronto, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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