A plane crash is always a major tragedy, especially when lives are lost suddenly. Yet the air transport industry is a business, and when operations come to a halt, consequences reach far beyond the unfortunate accident.
Millions of dollars in revenue can be lost, while supply chains, markets, and other businesses that depend on air logistics face widespread disruptions.
On November 4, a UPS cargo flight departing from its Worldport Hub in Louisville, Kentucky, en route to Honolulu, Hawaii, suffered a malfunction shortly after takeoff, causing the aircraft’s left-wing engine to detach. The plane was quickly engulfed in flames and crashed moments later, killing 12 people, including three crew members on board.
Following the incident, UPS suspended operations at the Worldport hub the next morning and asked Hub and Ramp employees not to report to work. The company issued a service alert notifying customers that delivery times for packages may be affected, but said it was working to minimize disruptions.
UPS resumes cargo operations at Worldport hub
UPS confirmed in a service alert that it has resumed air cargo operations at its Worldport hub after the temporary shutdown. The company said operational adjustments are being made to realign Air shipments originally scheduled for delivery on November 6 and November 7, 2025.
Updated UPS delivery schedules
- UPS Next Day Air Early and UPS Worldwide Express Plus services to the U.S will extend delivery times by 90 minutes.
- UPS Next Day Air, UPS 2nd Day Air A.M., and UPS Worldwide Express services to U.S. commercial and residential locations, along with all other time-definite domestic and International Air services, will be extended to end-of-day (11:59 p.m.) on the guaranteed delivery day.
- Until further notice, the UPS Service Guarantee (money-back guarantee program) has been suspended for all packages shipped from or delivered to the U.S.
“Our work continues to help ensure shipments arrive at their final destinations as quickly as possible,” said UPS in its service alert. “UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers, and the communities we serve.”
“Everyone in our company is deeply saddened by this horrible aircraft accident and our airline’s first duty is… recovery, aid, and victim support,” UPS added.
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What is the UPS Worldport hub?
The Worldport hub in Louisville is critical for UPS global air freight operations. Described by the company as a “one-of-a-kind facility,” it can reach 95% of the U.S. population within four hours by air.
The hub employs 20,000 workers, operates around 300 daily flights, and processes more than 400,000 packages per hour, according to the UPS website.
More Airlines:
- American Airlines makes deeper cuts amid flight cancellations
- Three low-cost airlines cancel all flights from Mexico to US
- Spirit Airlines cuts more flights and jobs amid second bankruptcy
UPS operates one of the world’s largest global shipping networks, as well as airlines and fleets of alternative fuel vehicles, delivering to over 10.1 million customers across more than 200 countries and territories each day.
Its major retail clients include Amazon (AMZN), Walmart (WMT), and Target (TGT), and it has partnered with USPS since 2012. More than 150 companies also store inventory directly at the Worldport Hub.
UPS client package volumes per day
- Amazon: Delivered an average of over 17.2 million packages per day in 2024. Source:Capital One Shopping.
- Walmart: Delivered 4.4 billion items with same-day or next-day shipping in the U.S. during the 12 months ending the first quarter of 2025. Source:Walmart.
- USPS: Delivered an average of 23.9 million packages per day in 2024. Source:USPS.
The brief suspension of UPS operations at the Worldport hub caused a significant ripple effect across the global logistics network. Thousands of air shipments were delayed or rerouted, resulting in temporary slowdowns for major retailers and e-commerce platforms that rely on UPS for expedited fulfillment.
“People and businesses don’t have a lot of understanding (about the supply chain). We just don’t expect our logistics operations to have a calamity or even a bad day,” University of Tennessee Professor of Supply Chain Management Tom Goldsby told AP News.
While UPS managed to resume operations within a few days, the aftermath may cause delays across regional and international routes for several days.
“These disruptions often require companies to report losses in their financial statements and could strain relationships with suppliers or customers if not handled swiftly,” said FreightFox.
