A UPS cargo plane crashed when departing Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) on the evening of Nov. 4, killing at least seven people. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11's crash marks the deadliest since UPS Airlines' inception in 1988.

"At approximately 5:20 p.m., [Nov. 4], UPS Flight 2976 from Louisville, KY, to Honolulu, an MD-11 with three crewmembers onboard, was involved in an accident in Louisville," UPS said in a statement.

The crash caused a massive fire in its wake, with a giant plume of smoke and flames being sent into the sky that could be seen from miles away. The Louisville Metro Police Department and other first responders arrived at the scene, situated in a predominantly industrial area. The public was told to avoid the area, and a shelter-in-place was issued.

Immediately after the crash, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) closed its airfield, suspending all arriving and departing flights. But, the airport posted on X it expected the airfield to be operational the following day (Nov. 5).

The cause of the crash remains unknown, with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board investigating the incident.

Here's how the UPS plane crash on could impact air travel.

How does the UPS plane crash impact air travelers?

In the aftermath of the crash, some passengers with upcoming flights to or from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport could experience disruptions. Both commercial airplanes and cargo aircraft rely on the same air traffic control towers, which also manage military and general aviation flights.

Hundreds of flights fly to and from the airport on a daily basis, with 504 on Nov. 2, according to FlightAWare. According to the flight-tracking platform, 5% (or 16) of the departing airport's flights on Nov. 5 have been cancelled.

The airport has been working to increase its air capacity, with 2023 and 2024 being record-setting years for air passenger numbers. Nearly five million passengers passed through SDF's terminals last year.

Not only is SDF one of the largest airports in Kentucky, it's also one of the busiest cargo airports in the country due to Louisville being an important UPS hub. The city is home to UPS Worldport, the largest sorting and logistics facility in the U.S. with over 300 daily inbound and outbound flights that move about two million packages.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deadly UPS plane crash sparks airport shutdown and travel disruptions

Reporting by Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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