About United Parcel Service
UPS Airlines is a major American cargo airline headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Parcel Service, Inc. The company's air cargo business initially began in 1929 by shipping packages on commercial airline flights, though this service was discontinued by 1931 due to the Great Depression. UPS reintroduced air service in 1953, offering two-day delivery for packages on commercial flights. It formally entered the aviation sector with the founding of UPS Airlines in 1988 after gaining approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its own aircraft, quickly becoming one of the largest cargo airlines globally in terms of freight volume flown.
The primary hub for UPS Airlines in the United States is Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, home to Worldport, a vast 5.2 million square foot facility that serves as the central sorting hub for domestic and international packages. UPS operates on a hub-and-spoke model, with other major U.S. hubs in Anchorage, Chicago-Rockford, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Ontario (CA), Philadelphia, and Seattle-Boeing. Internationally, UPS has hubs in locations such as Cologne/Bonn (Germany), East Midlands (England), Hamilton (Canada), Hong Kong, Shanghai (China), and Shenzhen (China).
As of February 2026, UPS Airlines operates an all-jet fleet of approximately 268 aircraft, with a total fleet of over 490 aircraft including short-term leases/chartered planes. The fleet consists of dedicated freighter variants including the Boeing 747-8F (of which UPS is the world's largest operator), Boeing 747-400F, Boeing 757-200PF, Boeing 767-300F, and Airbus A300-600F. UPS Airlines flies to 815 destinations worldwide, encompassing both domestic and international routes across over 220 countries and territories, integrating small packages and heavy freight in its daily network. As a cargo airline, UPS Airlines is not a member of major passenger airline alliances like Star Alliance, SkyTeam, or Oneworld, as these alliances are designed for passenger travel. UPS Airlines offers various shipping services, including UPS Express Critical for urgent shipments, International Shipping with day-definite delivery, and standard shipping options like Next Day Air and 2nd Day Air for both domestic and international air freight. They also provide specialized services for perishable goods and aircraft charter services.
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