Watch Now


Mammoth Freighters to convert first 777s for Cargojet

Widebody jets to be largest in Canadian carrier’s fleet

Cargojet's freighter fleet mostly consists of Boeing 767s (pictured). It will move up a category with the acquisition of 777s. (Photo: Shutterstock/SpaceKris)

Startup aviation firm Mammoth Freighters LLC on Tuesday announced that Cargojet, a Canadian contract carrier for Amazon, DHL Express and Purolator, is its launch customer with an order to convert two Boeing 777-200 passenger aircraft to an all-cargo configuration. 

The agreement moves Cargojet (TSX: CJT) up a level in aircraft size. The 777s are large, heavy-lift aircraft that can carry about 103 tons of cargo and have significant volume for e-commerce parcels. The 777 freighters will have 14% more volume than a Boeing 747-400 and 81% more space than a Boeing 767. Cargojet has 28 freighters in its fleet, most of them medium-size 767s that were converted after ending passenger service with other carriers.

Mammoth said the first plane will begin the conversion process in mid-2022 with delivery sometime in the second half of 2023, after it gets approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for its design to structurally modify the 777-200.  For the prototype, the conversion process will take longer than future deliveries. 

Assembly work involves gutting the plane’s interior, adding a rigid barrier to protect the cockpit, cutting the fuselage and adding a large door for pallets, and reinforcing the floor to support heavy loads. The process typically takes four to five months for a large airliner.


Cargojet has options to convert two additional 777-300s and two 777-200s. 

Cargojet provides outsourced transport for express carriers in North America, as well as ad hoc and dedicated international charter service for airlines and freight forwarders. It flies more than 25 million pounds of cargo weekly.

Mammoth, based in Orlando, Florida, and backed by Fortress Investment Group, was founded last December but waited until September to publicly reveal its business strategy. Mammoth acquired 10 777-200 Long Range aircraft from Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL). It will offer customers ready-to-fly converted freighters or reconstruct planes provided by carriers and leasing companies. 

Mammoth recently acquired a large stake in GDC Technics, a maintenance, repair and overhaul company with facilities in Fort Worth, Texas, which will install the conversion kits using Mammoth’s design.


The air cargo market is sizzling because the downturn in international passenger flying caused by the pandemic eliminated a large chunk of belly capacity, with about a 15% to 20% deficit in overall shipping space compared to 2019. All-cargo operators have deployed more freighters, but any planes that are airworthy are already flying. Double-digit growth in e-commerce has increased demand for new aircraft sources, especially among express delivery companies and their partner carriers. Boeing forecasts compound annual growth of 4.1% for air cargo during the next 20 years.

The 777 passenger-to-freighter conversions offer carriers the ability to add new capacity or replace aging freighters such as the 747-400 and the MD-11. 

The only 777 freighters in use today are factory-built by Boeing. Israel Aerospace Industries is developing a conversion program and plans to deliver its first aircraft in 2023.

Conversion shops are booked for months or years as activity increases to give older passenger planes a second life in cargo. Planes in high demand include the Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A321 narrowbodies, 767s, and Airbus A330s. 

(Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named Israel Aerospace Industries)

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.

RELATED NEWS: 

777 freighter conversions: Mammoth Freighters takes on the ‘Big Twin’


Mammoth Freighters invests in aerospace firm to jump-start 777 conversions

Union says Cargojet retaliated against pilots for support

US, Canadian pilots unions clash over Cargojet and fatigue rules

Canada’s Cargojet explores US investment

One Comment

  1. Doreen Bar

    I must give my thanks to Ashley, who posted here last week comment About system she uses to earn onlin℮… I’ve got my first check total of $15550💵, pretty cool. i Am so excited, this is the first time i Actually earned something. i am going to work even harder new And i can’t wait for next week payment. go to home tab

    For more detail…………..👉 http://www.workssilver.com

Comments are closed.

Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Supply Chain and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He won Environmental Journalist of the Year from the Seahorse Freight Association in 2014 and was the group's 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. In December 2022, Eric was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist by the Seahorse Freight Association. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. He has appeared on Marketplace, ABC News and National Public Radio to talk about logistics issues in the news. Eric is based in Vancouver, Washington. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com