Final FAA-witnessed test flights for Mammoth's 777-200LRMF scheduled 6-8 January, with Qatar Airways delivery targeted weeks after STC approval.
Mammoth Freighters won't receive Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for its 777-200LRMF before the end of this year, but the freighter conversion company confirmed final test flights will be carried out in early January and certification and delivery to launch customer Qatar Airways Cargo is anticipated to follow shortly afterwards.
Brian McCarthy, vice president of marketing & sales for Mammoth, told Air Cargo News (ACN) that the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) will be witness to the final and formal test flights for the first 777-200LR (N705) on 6-8 January.
"We are confident that these tests will be successful because we have already conducted the flights under DER supervision and validation. These flights are somewhat academic but an important step to completing the certification process," McCarthy stated.
Following the test flights in January, Mammoth should be able to secure Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) and the final STC it needs to deliver the 777-200LRMF to launch customer, Qatar Airways Cargo. The airline earlier this year signed an agreement for five of the aircraft with Texas-based lessor, Jetran.
McCarthy further stated: "Some additional administrative time will be required for the FAA to finish audits of our reports and data submittals as well as an inventory check of all compliance material and data required.
"After test flights, the asset will immediately be moved to a Paint facility for refinishing in Qatar's Colors.We hope to be delivering the aircraft to Jetran and Qatar within a few short weeks of test flight completion together with an STC issuance."
Mammoth has faced a substantial wait for the 777-200LRMF STC since it completed the initial test flight of the 777-200LRMF prototype in May.
The company told ACN in August that it had been carrying out company and formal Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) test flights for the 777-200LRMF and planned to complete these by early October.
In September, Mammoth was undertaking final test flights for the 777-200LRMF.
Qatar Airways Cargo had expected to receive the first and second aircraft during the fourth quarter, but the US government shutdown, which ended on 12 November, delayed the STC process.
At the beginning of November, Mammoth has been optimistic that the certification process timeline hadn't been impacted drastically and told ACN in November that it had been working with the FAA to organise flights witnessed by the government body between 20-23 November to enable it to then proceed to TIA and STC.
Meanwhile Qatar Airways chief cargo officer Mark Drusch told ACN at the end of October that it expected the first aircraft in January.
Currently, Mammoth has seven 777-200/-300 aircraft in various stages of the conversion process. Five aircraft are at Aspire MRO in Fort Worth, Texas, and two are at STS Aviation Services in Manchester, UK.
There are currently three 777-300ER conversion programmes in place with IAI, KMC and Mammoth, in addition to the 777-200LR programme in development with Mammoth.
Mammoth said in a recent LinkedIn post that STS Aviation Services had installed the cargo door on the second 777-200LRMF.
