UPS Says It Has Contingency Plans as Worldport Plane Crash Disrupts Operations
UPS has assured customers that it has contingency plans in place after a plane crashed Tuesday evening at its Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky. The crash occurred as the aircraft was departing for Honolulu from UPS Worldport, the company’s largest shipping hub located at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
Package Sorting Halted at Major Hub
The incident led to a halt in package sorting at the Worldport center late Tuesday, which continued into Wednesday. According to a UPS fact sheet, the facility is capable of sorting approximately 416,000 packages per hour. However, UPS has not released details about the number or nature of packages aboard the downed plane.
How Customers Can Track Their Packages
Consumers concerned about their shipments can check tracking details online or wait to be contacted by UPS. While the company has a claims process for lost or damaged packages, it remains unclear if customers with parcels on the affected flight will need to use that process. UPS is expected to reach out to impacted customers in the coming days. The company did not respond to a request for comment on this issue.
Shifting Operations to Offset Disruptions
Tom Goldsby, Professor of Supply Chain Management at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, commented that UPS will likely increase flights to regional hubs to compensate for the temporary closure of Worldport.
“The hubs are going to take on a greater burden until that critical operation in Louisville gets back to full capacity,” Goldsby said.
UPS stated that its contingency plans are designed to ensure shipments reach their destinations as quickly as conditions permit but declined to share specifics.
Holiday Season Pressure
With the peak holiday shipping season approaching, UPS is under pressure to resolve any delays. “It’s an issue that they quickly want to resolve, but they are going to have to do their due diligence in resolving the current crisis,” Goldsby noted.
He shared his own experience: “I myself was expecting a UPS package from Oregon routed through Worldport today, but got a message that it would have to be rescheduled. I understand the circumstance and will gladly receive it when it arrives,” he said, adding that patience will be needed for others expecting deliveries.
Goldsby also highlighted that many people and businesses are unfamiliar with the complexities of the supply chain. “We just don’t expect our logistics operations to have a calamity or even a bad day.”
Broader UPS Turnaround Efforts
This incident comes as UPS is working on a broader business turnaround, focusing less on Amazon deliveries and more on business-to-business shipping. In its latest earnings report, the company announced it has cut 48,000 jobs so far this year and closed some facilities as part of its restructuring. Despite the turbulence, UPS’s third-quarter results exceeded expectations.
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For updates on your shipment, visit UPS’s tracking page or await further communication from the company.
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