Mammoth 777-200LRMF heads for FAA STC with final flight tests

Mammoth Freighters has announced that its 777-200LRMF is undergoing final certification flight tests with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In a statement to The STAT Trade Times, Brian McCarthy, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Mammoth Freighters, said the company began formal flight testing last week, which will continue for another week to 10 days.

He stated that all ground and flight testing have been going well, with no hiccups, and that the company plans to submit all reports to the FAA before the end of the month.

“This should trigger Type Inspection Authorisation (TIA) as soon as the FAA is done with any of the flight tests that they want to witness. Otherwise, most of these tests are being accomplished with Designated Engineering Representatives (DERs). Once Mammoth is considered in the TIA mode, it is simply a waiting game to finish up with the FAA ‘administratively’ as they audit reports and inventory everything submitted,” he added.

Notably, the 777-200LRMF is due to receive its FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). McCarthy had earlier stated that the 200LR STC is a prerequisite for the 300ER certification. He added that significant work is focused on the 200LR, as the 300ER STC depends on the 200LR being certified. The 200LR STC must be issued before any amendments or certifications for the 300ER can proceed. The company plans to achieve the 200LR STC before the 300ER goes through its final phases.

“The 300ER is not far behind the 200LR certification. Mammoth plans on completing the aircraft and conducting all of the test flights before the year's end. This will again trigger the TIA status. We believe that the majority of our tests, both ground and flight, will be somewhat academic at this stage of the game because we will have already accomplished the same tests, the 200LR. Obviously, we have 10 extra metres of fuselage on the 300ER, which requires additional testing for smoke detection and various environmental control tests,” said McCarthy.

The company’s order book includes 35 firm orders, with several more customers in discussions pending STC issuance. Jetran Ltd, based in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, holds the majority of 777-200LR orders, while Avia Solutions Group accounts for six 777-300ER orders. End operators include Qatar Airways and DHL for many of the 200LRs, and BBN Istanbul, one of Avia Solutions Group’s AOCs, will take delivery of the 777-300ERs as they are completed.

He said, “Although STC issuance is unpredictable, we believe that certification for the 300ER will take place within the first quarter of 2026.”

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) recently announced that it has successfully completed the world’s first conversion of a Boeing 777-300ER from a passenger aircraft to a freighter, receiving the industry’s first STC for this model from both the FAA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI).