Boeing’s 767 was introduced on September 8, 1982. In about five weeks time the 767 program will be 33 years old! Yet the program just got its biggest order to date. FedEx ordered 50 and 50 options. This is an amazing performance.
The 767 has been a successful program, but not as successful as many others as the next chart illustrates. Like many, we had thought the program eclipsed by the 787 and A330. The tanker order notwithstanding.
The FedEx order is a strong vote of confidence. Boeing is now speaking of increasing its production to two per month on the back of this order. That FedEx wants to replace its ancient DC-10s is understandable. Even those “saved” by being converted to MD10s are ready for a visit to the desert, to the aerospace equivalent of Florida. The 767F provides FedEx with equal loads at much better economics. The 767F offers about 30% better fuel efficiency with at least 20% lower unit operating costs while offering MD10 equivalent capacity.
When evaluating the 767’s history we see the 300F, which is what FedEx has ordered, is the second most popular model.
To provide a guide as to why the FedEx order is so impressive, take a look at the aircraft’s order history. It certainly looked like the aircraft was past its prime. This order is truly old airplane revenge. 
The FedEx order no doubt came with excellent pricing and provides Boeing’s tanker program with useful program support.
From memory- having spent a few years on the 767 program thru first flight. Both the 757 ( i think of it as the 707 twin engine version ) and the 767 had minor internal budget overruns which was pocket change compared to all the following changes and versions of the 737, 747, and 7 late 7. At that time ( 1982-83) the 747 production looked pretty grim. Of course Boeing was still Boeing. First flights of 767 did have a few leading edge and ” skull cap ” ( area above cockpit windows where many systems came together )problems, and the first few were designed and built for a three man cockpit. And the ult load test to failure ( not required to go to failure BTW ) was terminated due to partial failure in aft body section resulting in a several degree twist from vertical of the rudder-vertical stabilizer ( empenage) section.
This was also the first use of an semi- automated spar machine ( ASAT) using what is now called electro impact riveting to be used on the 737Max wing spars and panels. The process of high energy impact from both sides of a ‘ slug” was for years called EMR ( electro- magnetic- riveting ), a term I coined when designing and testing the first such effort in 1968 as pat of the SST program. The 767 also was the first to extensively use a process called cold-working of critical fastener holes as part of the design criteria. The cold work process significantly improves fatigue life of fastener holes by pre-expansion of the hole before inserting a interference fit fastener. Details can be found at Fatigue-Technology.
I’m sure there were many other ‘ firsts’ re the 767.
It also may be the last ‘ new’ design airplane built by Boeing that very closely met budget and schedule commitments.
This 767F order and the continuing orders for 777 and 747 freighters show the increasing importance of new build freighters to manufacturers, or at least to Boeing, which is far ahead of Airbus in this category. Freighters were once an afterthought, and mainly conversions of older passenger aircraft, but they are now central to extending production of both the 767 and 747, and are very important to successful 777 bridge production. New build freighters are an afterthought no longer.
With this order it might be a good thing for Boeing to consider a 767MAX to fill the gap between the 737-9MAX and the 787-8. A very low cost option that could sell quite well and wrest some sales from airbus.