Qatar Airways Cargo onboards converted 777s: Qatar Airways Cargo entered an agreement with US-based leasing firm Jetran, LLC for five Mammoth Freighters 777-200LRMF aircraft, making it the first airline to order the new planes, according to a press release published last week. The move is expected to shore up the airline’s fleet capacity and boost its premium cargo services.

Mammoth Freighters? Texas-based Mammoth Freighters is a relatively new entrant in the passenger-to-freight (P2F) aircraft development space having launched operations in 2020. As a Boeing licensee, it retrofits the manufacturer’s flagship passenger 777 model — including the 200 Long Range and 300 Extended Range variants — to be cargo-ready. The firm is currently converting seven 777-200/-300 aircraft in Texas and Manchester, the UK, and has at least 35 additional aircraft in its orderbook.

Custom cargo system: Mammoth Freighter’s 777-200LRMF — the company’s flagship model — was successfully tested this month, the company said in a press release (pdf) published last week. The repurposed aircraft is equipped with a cargo loading system designed in collaboration with aerospace leader Collins Aerospace over three years and specially optimized for converted passenger planes now used for freight operations.

A boon for Qatar Airways Cargo: Qatar Airways Cargo — which ordered five 777-200LRMF aircraft — will be raising the number of 777s in its fleet to 33, up from the currently operational 28, according to its website. A single 777-200LRMF can carry a maximum payload of up to roughly 106 tons, according to Mammoth Freighter’s website. This is equivalent to the cargo tonnage carried by one of Qatar Airways Cargo’s Boeing 777 freighters.

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