“The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority extends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and FedEx. Fred was an innovator, a leader, and a cornerstone of the Memphis community. His impact on the airport and our great city cannot be overstated.” – Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority Board of Commissioners Chairman, Michael Keeney

Fred Smith was an entrepreneur and visionary who had an immeasurable global impact on commerce and logistics — far beyond FedEx, Memphis International Airport, and the city of Memphis. 

FedEx has been instrumental to the local economy, employing thousands and thousands of local residents and helping to draw thousands more to our city. Mr. Smith also invested heavily in the Memphis community, contributing his time and resources to improving organizations such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Memphis Zoo. As a veteran himself, Mr. Smith provided significant support for the military and veterans, and had a commitment to strengthening education for all.

By choosing MEM as his company’s base of operations in 1973, Fred Smith set a course that positively changed our airport and city forever. Since that time, MEM has been one of the busiest cargo airports in the world, including 8.2 billion pounds handled in 2024.

For Memphis International Airport, FedEx has had an immeasurable impact. As MEM’s largest customer, FedEx put Memphis on the map as a center of global commerce and logistics. This growth and cargo activity has helped drive a number of crucial airport projects that improved our operations, logistics, and infrastructure. These projects include runway improvements to safely handle FedEx cargo jets and the completion of the Central Deicing Facility (CDF).

The FedEx World Hub occupies more than 940 acres at Memphis International Airport with 171 aircraft gates and more than 13,000 employees.