FAA certifies 777-200LR cargo conversion
The FAA approved Mammoth’s cargo conversion for the Boeing 777‑200LR, clearing a path to extend the aircraft’s life in freight service. Cargo conversions are certification‑heavy programs that tend to reward engineering approaches focused on retrofit, verification and sustainment rather than wholesale redesign. (simpleflying.com)
A cargo conversion is what happens when an airline seat map gets ripped out and replaced with a flying warehouse, but the hard part is not the empty cabin. The hard part is proving to the Federal Aviation Administration that a passenger jet cut open for a huge cargo door can still fly, pressurize, and land safely for years. (fortress.com) That is why this week’s approval matters: on April 8, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration certified Mammoth Freighters’ Boeing 777-200LRMF, which is its cargo version of the Boeing 777-200 Long Range passenger jet. That certification clears the aircraft for commercial service. (businesswire.com) The Boeing 777-200 Long Range was built for very long passenger flights, not boxes. Boeing says the factory-built Boeing 777 Freighter itself is based on that same 777-200 Long Range airframe, which is why this model is such a natural candidate for a second life in cargo. (boeing.com) Mammoth’s version is aimed at operators that want near-777-freighter capability without buying a new jet. Aviation Week reported the converted 777-200LRMF is certified for a payload of 231,000 pounds and a range of 4,800 nautical miles. (aviationweek.com) To get there, Mammoth had to change the airplane in very physical ways. The company says the conversion adds the largest main-deck cargo door in its class, a reinforced floor structure, and a flexible cargo handling system. (fortress.com) That cargo handling system is the roller-and-lock hardware that lets heavy pallets move through the cabin like shopping carts on tracks. Aerospace Global News reported that Collins Aerospace spent three years optimizing that system for the 777 passenger-to-freighter market and designed it for parts commonality with factory-built 777 freighters already in service. (aerospaceglobalnews.com) The first customer is already lined up. Mammoth says Texas lessor Jetran plans to place the aircraft with customers including DHL, Qatar Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines, and Air Cargo News reported Qatar Airways Cargo has an agreement for five of them through Jetran. (businesswire.com) (aircargonews.net) This program has been moving in public for a while. Aerospace Global News reported Mammoth’s first converted test aircraft flew on May 1, 2025 at Aspire MRO in Fort Worth, and Cargo Facts reported official Federal Aviation Administration certification flights began in September 2025. (aerospaceglobalnews.com) (cargofacts.com) The next piece is deliveries. Air Cargo News reported the first aircraft for Qatar Airways Cargo was already being painted in Qatar colors when the approval came through, and Mammoth said on April 8 that certification now puts the company in position to begin deliveries and entry into service. (aircargonews.net) (fortress.com) Mammoth is also using the same playbook on a bigger sister jet. The company said on April 8 that it is still progressing on a Boeing 777-300 Extended Range conversion and expects Federal Aviation Administration certification for that variant later in 2026. (fortress.com)
