In this episode, Cargo Facts Editor Jeff Lee and Associate Editors Andrew Crider and Robert Luke discuss DHL’s acquisition of ex-Delta 777-200LRs for conversion to 777-200LRMFs with Mammoth Freighters. The deal marks the first major express carrier commitment to the Mammoth program.

Additionally, AAR signaled a continued interest in 757-200 conversions, acquiring nine ex-American Airlines units. The company already has sold one of those aircraft to AerSale.

Finally, Russia-based Volga-Dnepr Group has seemingly found an alternative to the western widebody freighters it operated, investing in the Il-96-400T. Recent imagery shows a 2003-vintage airframe recently adorned in the colors of the group’s subsidiary, AirBridgeCargo.

Tune in for a discussion of these topics and more for the week ending March 31, 2023.