US-based aerial firefighting specialist 10 Tanker believes it will not be badly affected in the near-term by the emergency grounding order for McDonnell Douglas DC-10s.
The company operates a fleet of DC-10-30s modified for fire suppressant discharge.
But the variant is among those covered by a US FAA grounding order in the aftermath of the Louisville Boeing MD-11F accident on 4 November.
While the initial flight prohibition applied only to the MD-11 and MD-11F, it was subsequently broadened to DC-10 models owing to their similar engine pylon architectures.
The chief executive of 10 Tanker, Joel Kerley, tells FlightGlobal that the restriction affects all of the operator’s DC-10s.
But he points out: “All of our aircraft are currently off-contract and are in scheduled winter maintenance. So the short-term impacts are minimal.”
Kerley adds that the company “looks forward” to holding further discussions with the FAA and Boeing, and making “any changes moving forward”.
Only a handful of DC-10 airframes remain in service, mostly in specialised roles, such as the MD-10 flying hospital of Orbis International.
