Rather than accelerating a retirement schedule, FedEx is doubling down on its commitment to the MD-11, treating the iconic tri-jet not as a liability, but as a long-haul lifeline. The MD-11 provides a massive, high-payload "middle gear" between the smaller Boeing 767-300F and the much larger Boeing 777-F. As a UPS engineer recently posted on Reddit:"I saw the picture of one of the pylons from a FedEx MD11 compared to ours and the difference is huge. Ironically, its rival's MD-11 retirements have made the economics of keeping its own MD-11s in service more attractive to FedEx. Three flights depart from the FedEx APAC hub at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, while two flights depart from the FedEx cargo facility at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.