FedEx Corp. has landed a Boeing 777 freighter painted in a retro 1973 color scheme at the Memphis airport that has just been renamed in honor of the company's late founder, according to FreightWaves. The Tuesday ceremony places the FedEx Memphis World Hub — which sorts more than 2.4 million packages daily — at the newly dedicated Frederick W. Smith International Airport, and comes as FedEx delivers over 18 million packages a day worldwide.
Memphis airport renamed for FedEx founder
The Memphis metropolitan region renamed its airport Frederick W. Smith International Airport in honor of FedEx founder Fred Smith, who died in June of last year, according to FreightWaves. The dual event was hosted by FedEx along with the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority. The renaming ceremony coincided with the inaugural FedEx FWS Day of Service, which celebrates Smith's love for his adopted hometown, how he became one of its fiercest economic champions, and his philosophy of community service. Under Smith, FedEx encouraged team members to contribute time and effort to support communities where they live and work.
FedEx today delivers over 18 million packages a day around the world and sorts more than 2.4 million packages daily at its Memphis World Hub, located at the newly dedicated airport, according to FreightWaves. The table below compares the airline's first night of operations with its current scale.
| Metric | First night, 1973 | Today |
|---|---|---|
| Packages delivered | 186 packages | Over 18 million per day |
| Aircraft fleet | 14 Dassault Falcon business jets | Boeing 777 freighter |
| Cities served | 25 | Global network |
Retro 777 tribute and Flight 1944
The event concluded with a ceremonial landing of Flight 1944, a FedEx 777 painted in the company's original purple and red/orange livery, with the words Federal Express, according to FreightWaves. The flight number honors the year Smith was born. The aircraft is named Rosie after one of Smith's granddaughters who was born shortly before his passing. This naming continues the longstanding tradition of naming aircraft after employees' children, FreightWaves reported.
As a tribute to Smith's shared history with the city of Memphis, FedEx unveiled a mural along Plough Blvd., which skirts the airport. The artwork features a portrait of Smith composed of the iconic FedEx purple aircraft tails, FedEx announced.
From 14 Dassault Falcons to a global hub
There were no 777s when Smith started FedEx, according to FreightWaves. The first plane in the fleet was the small Dassault Falcon passenger aircraft, which he had to convert to an all-cargo aircraft with an enlarged door. On its first night of service in 1973, FedEx Express delivered 186 packages from Memphis, Tennessee, to 25 cities with 14 Dassault Falcon business jets.
After serving in the Vietnam War and retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps, Smith established Federal Express in Memphis, Tennessee, for its strategic location and reliable weather, according to FreightWaves. Over more than five decades, Smith's investments built the express airline's small terminal into a massive global logistics hub that is indispensable infrastructure for hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity each year.
Leadership tributes
FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam addressed the dual event hosted along with the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, according to FreightWaves:
Moving forward, every plane, person, and package that passes through Frederick W. Smith International Airport will carry the spirit of our visionary founder and the pride of a city that connects the world.
Terry Blue, president and CEO of Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority, said in a statement: "Today, we immortalize a true visionary who reshaped the logistics industry and elevated our city's footprint on the global stage. As passengers travel through Frederick W. Smith International Airport, we want them to be reminded of the relentless drive, innovation, and community spirit that Fred Smith championed throughout his life."
Purple Week and the annual day of service
The FWS Day of Service is also a part of Purple Week, the company's global, enterprise-wide celebration grounded in its "People-Service-Profit" mission statement, according to FreightWaves. This week, more than 120 FedEx Cares volunteer and community impact events are happening around the world, part of the company's global community engagement program. FedEx said the day of service will continue annually.
For freight forwarders, logistics managers, and air cargo operators, the dedication of the airport to Fred Smith underscores the staying power of Memphis as a global sorting hub. FreightWaves noted that FedEx was a pioneer of the express air logistics industry and had a huge impact on how economies operate and how we consume goods. The Memphis World Hub's daily throughput of 2.4 million packages and FedEx's network-wide volume of over 18 million packages per day remain central to the overnight express ecosystem that the company built.
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