FedEx has unveiled a Boeing 777 Freighter in a retro paint scheme inspired by the aircraft that launched the company more than half a century ago. The unveiling comes as the shipping giant’s sprawling Memphis airport is renamed in honor of company founder Frederick W. Smith.
The 777F, N884FD, carries a look based on the Dassault Falcon 20s used when Federal Express began operations in 1973. The aircraft is named “Rosie” after Smith’s granddaughter and was among the first FedEx aircraft to arrive at the newly renamed Frederick W. Smith International Airport in Memphis.
The throwback livery connects FedEx’s modern long-haul cargo operation with a considerably humbler beginning. Federal Express launched operations from Memphis on April 17, 1973, with 389 employees and 14 aircraft. On its first night, the fledgling carrier moved 186 packages to 25 US cities.
Smith had begun developing the idea years earlier while studying economics at Yale University. In 1965, he wrote a term paper proposing a system built specifically to move urgent shipments overnight, such as medicine, computer parts and electronics.
The now-famous story is that Smith received a grade of C on the paper, with his professor reportedly praising the research but telling him the idea would never work.
After graduating from Yale in 1966, Smith joined the US Marine Corps and served two tours in Vietnam. He earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts before returning to the US and pursuing the transportation concept he had begun exploring at Yale.
Smith founded Federal Express Corp. in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1971 before moving the operation to Memphis. The city offered a central location for the company’s hub-and-spoke network and weather that was generally favorable for around-the-clock flight operations.
The company’s early years were anything but certain. One of the most famous episodes came as Federal Express was running dangerously short of cash and struggling to pay its fuel bills. Smith flew to Las Vegas and gambled company money at the blackjack tables, returning with enough winnings to make payroll and give the business time to survive.
The company eventually grew into one of the largest air cargo operations in the world, with Memphis at the center of its global network.
Smith remained closely identified with the company for the rest of his life. He died on June 21, 2025, at age 80.
Federal Express launched operations with 14 Dassault Falcon 20s, eventually operating 33 of the French-built jets as its overnight network expanded across the US.
The Falcon 20 was already gaining a foothold in North America at the time, but its prominent role at Federal Express helped cement Dassault’s presence in the US market.
The original Falcon 20 that carried the company’s first air-express package on April 17, 1973, today is on display at the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.