Under contract to the Government of the United Kingdom, AirTanker Holdings Limited (company registration number 06279650, incorporated on 14 June 2007; 16 years ago (2007-06-14)),[4] owns a fleet of fourteen
Airbus A330 MRTT multi-role tanker transport aircraft (based upon existing civilian
A330-243 wide-body passenger airliner (type code A332), retro-converted to military specification by
Airbus Military, now part of
Airbus Defence and Space) primarily for
military operations by the
Royal Air Force (RAF).[8][10] In turn, AirTanker Services Limited operate those fourteen aircraft for the Royal Air Force,[2][10] known by the
British military service nameVoyager, as the RAF's now sole type of tanker aircraft for
aerial refuelling, whilst simultaneously being able to operate as
military troop and
cargo transport, and also configurable for military
aeromedical roles.[1][11] For additional revenue, AirTanker Services Limited is able to operate as a
civilianairline named AirTanker (identified by ICAO code: TOW),[2][3] using any reserve aircraft on short-term
air charter, or longer-term damp-lease or
wet lease arrangements to other civilian airlines for commercial gain.[11]
In March
2008, the
Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed the finalised
Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) contract with AirTanker Holdings Limited (ATH) (the legal owner of the aircraft) to provide the
Royal Air Force (RAF) with an air transport and air-to-air refuelling capability.[8][11] This new capability was to provide a modern replacement for the RAF's then ageing fleet of aerial refuelling tankers; namely the
Vickers VC10 and
Lockheed TriStar.[11] An addition to its primary role of supporting the Royal Air Force, AirTanker Services Limited (ATS) (the legal operator of the civilian AirTanker airline) also holds a
United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Type A Global operating licence, permitting it to operate as revenue-generating civilian airline; capable of carrying fare-paying passengers, cargo, and mail, on aircraft with twenty or more
seats.[13][14]
Prior to the delivery of the aircraft to the Royal Air Force, new facilities were constructed
RAF Brize Norton (
IATA: BZZ,
ICAO: EGVN) in Oxfordshire, the RAF's largest
airbase. Known as AirTanker Hub, these facilities are owned by industry, and act as headquarters and
registered office for both ATH and ATS, and contain all support services for operation and maintenance of the AirTanker fleet. In accordance with the dual military and civilian roles, all fourteen aircraft in the fleet must be able to switch between the United Kingdom's Civil Aircraft Register (CAR),[15] and its Military Aircraft Register (MAR). They are thus dual registered, and individually identified by a
UK civilian aircraft registration mark (starting at G-VYGA, as an abbreviated homage to is Voyager military service name, through to G-VYGN), and a
UK military aircraft registration (starting in series with ZZ330, as a nod to its Airbus A330 type, through to ZZ343); although only one type of registration mark is displayed, dependent on its operator.[8]
On 12 May 2012, Sponsored Reservists of
No. 10 Squadron RAF (nicknamed Shiny Ten) for AirTanker Services Limited began Royal Air Force operations of its
Airbus A330 MRTT (role-specific militarised conversion of the civilian
A330-243 airliner by
Airbus Military), known by the RAF as the Voyager, by operating a military air transport sortie to
RAF Akrotiri (IATA: AKT, ICAO: LCRA)[16] in Cyprus from its home airbase of
RAF Brize Norton in
Oxfordshire, England.[11]
Following the issue of an air operating licence by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the airline flew its first
charter flight to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus for the UK Ministry of Defence in January 2013.[17] After delays in certification due to issues with its refuelling drogue baskets, its first operational aerial refuelling flight took place on 20 May 2013; 10 years ago (2013-05-20).[18] Following subsequent successful Voyager tanker aerial fuel delivery operations to all operational Royal Air Force, and allied receiver aircraft, in late 2013,
No. 101 Squadron RAF retired all their remaining
Vickers VC10s and became the second
RAF squadron alongside 10 Squadron to operate the Voyager.[11]
From October
2013, AirTanker's civilian
flight crews started to provide the twice-weekly scheduled passenger flights using a demodified unmilitarised Voyager aircraft (A330-243, currently G-VYGJ) with a single-class
cabin of 291
premium economy seats between
RAF Brize Norton in the United Kingdom and
RAF Mount Pleasant (IATA: MPN, ICAO: EGYP) on the
Falkland Islands, known as the South Atlantic Air Bridge; mainly for the movement of military personnel and contractors, military cargo, and civilian freight,[3] though fare-paying civilian passengers are also allowed to travel. These air bridge flights originally stopped mid-journey for ground refuelling at Wideawake Airfield (IATA: ASI, ICAO: FHAW)[19] on
RAF Ascension Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean; but due to the deteriorating condition of its
runway, the refuelling stop was transferred to
Cape Verde.[which?][3] During the
COVID-19 pandemic, this refuelling stop was moved to
Blaise Diagne International Airport (IATA: DSS, ICAO: GOBD) in
Dakar, west Africa. However, in June
2020, an AirTanker A330-243
civilian registration: G-VYGM (
MSN: 1601) set a record by flying non-stop direct from Brize Norton to Mount Pleasant without refuelling.[20] Following major repairs to the runway at Wideawake Airfield by US contractors, ground refuelling stops resumed at RAF Ascension Island in May 2023.
In May
2015, AirTanker Holdings Limited leased one demodified demilitarised A330-243 aircraft (civilian registration: G-VYGK,
MSN: 1498) to
Thomas Cook Airlines[3][23] to be deployed on holiday routes. The contract ran for three years, and involved mainly
long-haul flights from
Glasgow Airport (IATA: GLA, ICAO: EGPF),
Manchester Airport (IATA: MAN, ICAO: EGCC), and
London Stansted Airport (IATA: STN, ICAO: EGSS) in the United Kingdom. The first commercial flight took place on 1 May 2015; 8 years ago (2015-05-01), from Manchester to
Cancun (IATA: CUN, ICAO: MMUN) in Mexico and
Punta Cana (IATA: PUJ, ICAO: MDPC) in the Dominican Republic.[24] In April
2017, a second aircraft (G-VYGM,
MSN: 1601) was also leased to Thomas Cook Airlines; in May 2019, G-VYGM was then leased to
Jet2.com,[25] following a different aircraft (G-VYGL,
MSN: 1555) being leased to Jet2.com in June 2017.[26]
During early
2016, an existing RAF Voyager KC3 aircraft (
military registration: ZZ336,
MSN: 1363) was further converted to
VIP fitment for use by members of the
British Royal Family, the
Prime Minister, and senior members of the
UK Government. Whilst still retaining its original core military function of aerial refuelling tanker and military transport, ZZ336's
passenger cabin was reconfigured to include fifty-eight
business class seats up front in a one-two-one configuration, retaining one-hundred
premium economy standard-class
seats in the standard two-four-two configuration rear cabin. The VIP upgrade also included secure
satellite communications system,
missile detection, secure weapons storage, and media facilities, similar to other dedicated
air transports of heads of state and government.[27] This VIP Voyager originally retained its military low-visibility matt-grey exterior
paint scheme, identical to the remainder of the RAF Voyager KC2 and KC3 fleet. During mid-
2020, as part of its programmed mid-life upgrades and major servicing, ZZ336 was repainted in gloss-white '
Global Britain' livery, which includes a stylised
Union Jack on its
tail fin and
winglets, gold United Kingdom lettering, but retaining its Royal Air Force name, RAF roundels, and prominent military aircraft registration. When returned to service with the RAF, it was given the name Vespina by the Royal Air Force.[28]
On 13 July 2016; 7 years ago (2016-07-13), AirTanker Holdings Limited reached the final establishment phase milestone in the
Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) programme; with the achievement of Full Service Date on time and on budget delivering all fourteen A330-243 aircraft to the UK government.[29]
In 2017, AirTanker Services Limited established a new operating base at
Manchester Airport to support its AirTanker civilian leasing operations for its demodified demilitarised A330-243 aircraft.[3] The same year, members of AirTankers'
cabin crew were
seconded to Thomas Cook Airlines, fostering its existing relationship and facilitating training of A330 cabin crew for Thomas Cook Airlines.[3]
In 2022, AirTanker Services Limited was awarded a contract to provide support services to the
Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) by
Airbus Defence and Space on behalf of MMF operator
European Defence Agency (EDA) for its six
NATO nations. The contract agreement is for a work share between AirTanker and Airbus Defence and Space for three specific support services; these include Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engine support, Cobham pod support, and maintenance.[6]
Personnel and support
AirTanker Holdings Limited owns the entire fleet of fourteen Airbus A330-243 aircraft under the terms of its contract with the
UK government. AirTanker Services Limited operate the aircraft, and also provides full support infrastructure to
service and maintain the aircraft fleet, operational management, personnel training, and some specific aircraft crews. For Royal Air Force operations (identified by its
ICAO airline designator: RAF), this latter includes military
pilots and
engineers who are classed as 'Sponsored Reservists'.[11][30]
Its surge fleet, the demodified demilitarised A330-243 aircraft, used as civilian air charter or wet lease, are operated by AirTanker civilian pilots, but draw cabin crew from the respective civilian airline they operate for.
Fleet
AirTanker Holdings Limited has a 27-year contract to provide fourteen aircraft. All airframes are the
Airbus A330 MRTT; based upon the
A330-243 civilian airliner with a twin-aisle, two-four-two
passenger cabin,[31] powered by a pair of
Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 turbofan jet engines, each with a rated take-off thrust of 316.3
kilonewtons (71,107
pounds-force) and a continuous rating of 282.7 kilonewtons (63,553 pounds-force).[32] Each aircraft can carry a total fuel load of 111
tonnes (109
long tons; 122
short tons). The RAF Voyagers are able to dispense 50,000
kilograms (110,231
pounds) of fuel, from its existing
wing and
fuselage fuel tanks, to receiver aircraft via its hose-and-drogue systems. They have a
loiter time of up to four hours, and a range of more than 1,852
kilometres (1,151
miles) from its departure
airbase.[28]
The AirTanker Holdings Limited fleet originally consisted of a 'core' fleet of nine
military aircraft; eight with
UK military registration marks (starting in series with ZZ330, as a nod to its Airbus A330 type) and one UK civilian registration, along with a 'surge' fleet of five UK civil registered demodified demilitarised aircraft (similar to A330-243 standard configuration) which it uses for additional revenue. The surge fleet can be recalled for military use at any time as required.[11][33] This fleet balance was subsequently revised; the military-registered core fleet was increased to ten aircraft, and the civilian-registered surge fleet reducing to four.
Versions
The AirTanker Holdings Limited-owned fleet of fourteen aircraft are known by the following official nomenclature, as defined by their primary operator (identified by its
ICAO airline designator code):
Voyager KC3 — qty 7 – identical to the KC2, but with an additional centreline Cobham 805E Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU) suitable for supplying fuel in larger volumes at higher delivery rate to probe-equipped larger military transport aircraft and mission-specific military converted civilian airliners, such as the
Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules and
Airbus A400M Atlas.
AirTanker (TOW)
Operated by AirTanker Services Limited. Dependent on primary mission (typically wet lease or damp lease), these are externally painted white with lessor airline logos, or low-visibility matt-grey (identical to the RAF Voyagers) with AirTanker logos for the individual airframe (currently G-VYGJ) permanently tasked for the South Atlantic Air Bridge. All aircraft are identified by their
British civilian aircraft registration mark:[35]
A330-243 — qty 4 – demodified demilitarised A330 MRTT, operating purely as a civilian passenger airliner for short-term air charter or longer-term wet or damp lease.
The dates in service indicate the point in time when each aircraft was delivered to its operator at RAF Brize Norton, specifically for Voyager following conversion of existing civilian airliner by
Airbus Military into its MRTT specification; these airframes were individually manufactured some years earlier, the oldest airframe taking its first flight (as a civilian airliner prior to MRTT conversion) on 4 June 2009.[34]
One RAF Voyager KC3 (currently ZZ337) is permanently based at
RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands as part of
No. 1312 Flight RAF, to provide aerial refuelling for its 1312 Flt stablemate
A400M Atlas (and its former
C-130 Hercules) transport aircraft, along with the four
quick reaction alert (QRA)
Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets of
No. 1435 Flight RAF. An additional demilitarised A330-243 operated by AirTanker is used twice weekly to provide the air bridge between RAF Brize Norton in the UK and RAF Mount Pleasant in the South Atlantic.[3][11]
Accidents and incidents
On Sunday 9 February 2014, an RAF Voyager KC3, registration ZZ333, MSN 1312, was tasked with an
air transport flight from
RAF Brize Norton (IATA: BZZ, ICAO: EGVN) in Oxfordshire to
Camp Bastion (IATA: QOZ, ICAO: OAZI) in Afghanistan. With the
call sign ISF 63JW, operated by a crew of nine, and carrying 189 passengers, ZZ333 departed BZZ at 12:00
UTC for an estimated
flight duration of eight hours twenty minutes. At 15:49 UTC, whilst over the
Black Sea in Turkish airspace during hours of darkness, ZZ333 rapidly lost 4,440
feet (1,350
metres) of altitude in 27 seconds from its
autopilot-controlled
cruising altitude of 33,000 feet (10,000 metres), and reaching a maximum descent rate of 15,800
feet per minute (4,800
metres per minute). A maximum
indicated air speed of 358
knots (663
kilometres per hour; 412
miles per hour), or
Mach 0.9, was recorded during this descent while the co-pilot was out of the cockpit making a hot beverage in the forward
galley.[53] The co-pilot returned to the cockpit to a scene of disarray, audible alarms, and "violent shaking" of the aircraft. He reached over to his right-hand side-stick, pulling back to regain control of the aircraft. The sudden descent caused several injuries to twenty-five passengers and seven crew, some of whom struck the ceiling of the aircraft; they were attended by medical personnel onboard as passengers on the flight. A maximum
g-force of minus 0.56 g was recorded at the start of the
dive, and plus 2.06 g during the recovery to level flight. After gaining control, the aircraft
diverted to
Incirlik Air Base (IATA: UAB, ICAO: LTAG) in Turkey and landed without further incident. The incident resulted in the
grounding of the entire RAF Voyager fleet for twelve days, until it was determined by a United Kingdom
Military Aviation Authority (UK-MAA) report following an investigation by the Military
Air Accidents Investigation Branch (MilAAIB) at
Farnborough on 14 February 2014 that the event was caused by the captain's improperly stowed
DSLR camera being jammed between the captain's armrest and the side-stick controller, forcing the stick forward when the captain adjusted his seat forward.[8][54]
Gallery
AirTanker Holdings Limited gallery of aircraft
Early AirTanker
Royal Air Force Voyager landing at
RAF Fairford in 2011, still displaying its
Airbus Military registration MRTT016. Subsequently registered G-VYGE, currently registered ZZ334.
AirTanker Services liveried A330-243, G-VYGJ (
MSN: 1439), the airframe used for the South Atlantic Air Bridge, 2016.
ZZ336 Vespina, the AirTanker RAF Voyager KC3 (MSN: 1363) converted for VIP use, operated by
10 Squadron of the
Royal Air Force, whilst still retaining its core military capability of aerial tanker, 2022.
ZZ333 (MSN: 1312), one of the two Voyager KC3 aircraft involved in
Operation Shader at
RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, 2021.
^
abcdChapman, Khalem (27 June 2020).
"RAF's VIP Voyager resumes tanker operations". Key.Aero.
Key Publishing Ltd.
Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2024. The RAF's recently unveiled, special schemed Voyager KC2 [sic] – which will represent the UK in a VIP transport role – returned to its primary role in providing air-to-air refuelling (AAR) operations on June 26.
Under contract to the Government of the United Kingdom, AirTanker Holdings Limited (company registration number 06279650, incorporated on 14 June 2007; 16 years ago (2007-06-14)),[4] owns a fleet of fourteen
Airbus A330 MRTT multi-role tanker transport aircraft (based upon existing civilian
A330-243 wide-body passenger airliner (type code A332), retro-converted to military specification by
Airbus Military, now part of
Airbus Defence and Space) primarily for
military operations by the
Royal Air Force (RAF).[8][10] In turn, AirTanker Services Limited operate those fourteen aircraft for the Royal Air Force,[2][10] known by the
British military service nameVoyager, as the RAF's now sole type of tanker aircraft for
aerial refuelling, whilst simultaneously being able to operate as
military troop and
cargo transport, and also configurable for military
aeromedical roles.[1][11] For additional revenue, AirTanker Services Limited is able to operate as a
civilianairline named AirTanker (identified by ICAO code: TOW),[2][3] using any reserve aircraft on short-term
air charter, or longer-term damp-lease or
wet lease arrangements to other civilian airlines for commercial gain.[11]
In March
2008, the
Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed the finalised
Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) contract with AirTanker Holdings Limited (ATH) (the legal owner of the aircraft) to provide the
Royal Air Force (RAF) with an air transport and air-to-air refuelling capability.[8][11] This new capability was to provide a modern replacement for the RAF's then ageing fleet of aerial refuelling tankers; namely the
Vickers VC10 and
Lockheed TriStar.[11] An addition to its primary role of supporting the Royal Air Force, AirTanker Services Limited (ATS) (the legal operator of the civilian AirTanker airline) also holds a
United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Type A Global operating licence, permitting it to operate as revenue-generating civilian airline; capable of carrying fare-paying passengers, cargo, and mail, on aircraft with twenty or more
seats.[13][14]
Prior to the delivery of the aircraft to the Royal Air Force, new facilities were constructed
RAF Brize Norton (
IATA: BZZ,
ICAO: EGVN) in Oxfordshire, the RAF's largest
airbase. Known as AirTanker Hub, these facilities are owned by industry, and act as headquarters and
registered office for both ATH and ATS, and contain all support services for operation and maintenance of the AirTanker fleet. In accordance with the dual military and civilian roles, all fourteen aircraft in the fleet must be able to switch between the United Kingdom's Civil Aircraft Register (CAR),[15] and its Military Aircraft Register (MAR). They are thus dual registered, and individually identified by a
UK civilian aircraft registration mark (starting at G-VYGA, as an abbreviated homage to is Voyager military service name, through to G-VYGN), and a
UK military aircraft registration (starting in series with ZZ330, as a nod to its Airbus A330 type, through to ZZ343); although only one type of registration mark is displayed, dependent on its operator.[8]
On 12 May 2012, Sponsored Reservists of
No. 10 Squadron RAF (nicknamed Shiny Ten) for AirTanker Services Limited began Royal Air Force operations of its
Airbus A330 MRTT (role-specific militarised conversion of the civilian
A330-243 airliner by
Airbus Military), known by the RAF as the Voyager, by operating a military air transport sortie to
RAF Akrotiri (IATA: AKT, ICAO: LCRA)[16] in Cyprus from its home airbase of
RAF Brize Norton in
Oxfordshire, England.[11]
Following the issue of an air operating licence by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the airline flew its first
charter flight to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus for the UK Ministry of Defence in January 2013.[17] After delays in certification due to issues with its refuelling drogue baskets, its first operational aerial refuelling flight took place on 20 May 2013; 10 years ago (2013-05-20).[18] Following subsequent successful Voyager tanker aerial fuel delivery operations to all operational Royal Air Force, and allied receiver aircraft, in late 2013,
No. 101 Squadron RAF retired all their remaining
Vickers VC10s and became the second
RAF squadron alongside 10 Squadron to operate the Voyager.[11]
From October
2013, AirTanker's civilian
flight crews started to provide the twice-weekly scheduled passenger flights using a demodified unmilitarised Voyager aircraft (A330-243, currently G-VYGJ) with a single-class
cabin of 291
premium economy seats between
RAF Brize Norton in the United Kingdom and
RAF Mount Pleasant (IATA: MPN, ICAO: EGYP) on the
Falkland Islands, known as the South Atlantic Air Bridge; mainly for the movement of military personnel and contractors, military cargo, and civilian freight,[3] though fare-paying civilian passengers are also allowed to travel. These air bridge flights originally stopped mid-journey for ground refuelling at Wideawake Airfield (IATA: ASI, ICAO: FHAW)[19] on
RAF Ascension Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean; but due to the deteriorating condition of its
runway, the refuelling stop was transferred to
Cape Verde.[which?][3] During the
COVID-19 pandemic, this refuelling stop was moved to
Blaise Diagne International Airport (IATA: DSS, ICAO: GOBD) in
Dakar, west Africa. However, in June
2020, an AirTanker A330-243
civilian registration: G-VYGM (
MSN: 1601) set a record by flying non-stop direct from Brize Norton to Mount Pleasant without refuelling.[20] Following major repairs to the runway at Wideawake Airfield by US contractors, ground refuelling stops resumed at RAF Ascension Island in May 2023.
In May
2015, AirTanker Holdings Limited leased one demodified demilitarised A330-243 aircraft (civilian registration: G-VYGK,
MSN: 1498) to
Thomas Cook Airlines[3][23] to be deployed on holiday routes. The contract ran for three years, and involved mainly
long-haul flights from
Glasgow Airport (IATA: GLA, ICAO: EGPF),
Manchester Airport (IATA: MAN, ICAO: EGCC), and
London Stansted Airport (IATA: STN, ICAO: EGSS) in the United Kingdom. The first commercial flight took place on 1 May 2015; 8 years ago (2015-05-01), from Manchester to
Cancun (IATA: CUN, ICAO: MMUN) in Mexico and
Punta Cana (IATA: PUJ, ICAO: MDPC) in the Dominican Republic.[24] In April
2017, a second aircraft (G-VYGM,
MSN: 1601) was also leased to Thomas Cook Airlines; in May 2019, G-VYGM was then leased to
Jet2.com,[25] following a different aircraft (G-VYGL,
MSN: 1555) being leased to Jet2.com in June 2017.[26]
During early
2016, an existing RAF Voyager KC3 aircraft (
military registration: ZZ336,
MSN: 1363) was further converted to
VIP fitment for use by members of the
British Royal Family, the
Prime Minister, and senior members of the
UK Government. Whilst still retaining its original core military function of aerial refuelling tanker and military transport, ZZ336's
passenger cabin was reconfigured to include fifty-eight
business class seats up front in a one-two-one configuration, retaining one-hundred
premium economy standard-class
seats in the standard two-four-two configuration rear cabin. The VIP upgrade also included secure
satellite communications system,
missile detection, secure weapons storage, and media facilities, similar to other dedicated
air transports of heads of state and government.[27] This VIP Voyager originally retained its military low-visibility matt-grey exterior
paint scheme, identical to the remainder of the RAF Voyager KC2 and KC3 fleet. During mid-
2020, as part of its programmed mid-life upgrades and major servicing, ZZ336 was repainted in gloss-white '
Global Britain' livery, which includes a stylised
Union Jack on its
tail fin and
winglets, gold United Kingdom lettering, but retaining its Royal Air Force name, RAF roundels, and prominent military aircraft registration. When returned to service with the RAF, it was given the name Vespina by the Royal Air Force.[28]
On 13 July 2016; 7 years ago (2016-07-13), AirTanker Holdings Limited reached the final establishment phase milestone in the
Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) programme; with the achievement of Full Service Date on time and on budget delivering all fourteen A330-243 aircraft to the UK government.[29]
In 2017, AirTanker Services Limited established a new operating base at
Manchester Airport to support its AirTanker civilian leasing operations for its demodified demilitarised A330-243 aircraft.[3] The same year, members of AirTankers'
cabin crew were
seconded to Thomas Cook Airlines, fostering its existing relationship and facilitating training of A330 cabin crew for Thomas Cook Airlines.[3]
In 2022, AirTanker Services Limited was awarded a contract to provide support services to the
Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) by
Airbus Defence and Space on behalf of MMF operator
European Defence Agency (EDA) for its six
NATO nations. The contract agreement is for a work share between AirTanker and Airbus Defence and Space for three specific support services; these include Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engine support, Cobham pod support, and maintenance.[6]
Personnel and support
AirTanker Holdings Limited owns the entire fleet of fourteen Airbus A330-243 aircraft under the terms of its contract with the
UK government. AirTanker Services Limited operate the aircraft, and also provides full support infrastructure to
service and maintain the aircraft fleet, operational management, personnel training, and some specific aircraft crews. For Royal Air Force operations (identified by its
ICAO airline designator: RAF), this latter includes military
pilots and
engineers who are classed as 'Sponsored Reservists'.[11][30]
Its surge fleet, the demodified demilitarised A330-243 aircraft, used as civilian air charter or wet lease, are operated by AirTanker civilian pilots, but draw cabin crew from the respective civilian airline they operate for.
Fleet
AirTanker Holdings Limited has a 27-year contract to provide fourteen aircraft. All airframes are the
Airbus A330 MRTT; based upon the
A330-243 civilian airliner with a twin-aisle, two-four-two
passenger cabin,[31] powered by a pair of
Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 turbofan jet engines, each with a rated take-off thrust of 316.3
kilonewtons (71,107
pounds-force) and a continuous rating of 282.7 kilonewtons (63,553 pounds-force).[32] Each aircraft can carry a total fuel load of 111
tonnes (109
long tons; 122
short tons). The RAF Voyagers are able to dispense 50,000
kilograms (110,231
pounds) of fuel, from its existing
wing and
fuselage fuel tanks, to receiver aircraft via its hose-and-drogue systems. They have a
loiter time of up to four hours, and a range of more than 1,852
kilometres (1,151
miles) from its departure
airbase.[28]
The AirTanker Holdings Limited fleet originally consisted of a 'core' fleet of nine
military aircraft; eight with
UK military registration marks (starting in series with ZZ330, as a nod to its Airbus A330 type) and one UK civilian registration, along with a 'surge' fleet of five UK civil registered demodified demilitarised aircraft (similar to A330-243 standard configuration) which it uses for additional revenue. The surge fleet can be recalled for military use at any time as required.[11][33] This fleet balance was subsequently revised; the military-registered core fleet was increased to ten aircraft, and the civilian-registered surge fleet reducing to four.
Versions
The AirTanker Holdings Limited-owned fleet of fourteen aircraft are known by the following official nomenclature, as defined by their primary operator (identified by its
ICAO airline designator code):
Voyager KC3 — qty 7 – identical to the KC2, but with an additional centreline Cobham 805E Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU) suitable for supplying fuel in larger volumes at higher delivery rate to probe-equipped larger military transport aircraft and mission-specific military converted civilian airliners, such as the
Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules and
Airbus A400M Atlas.
AirTanker (TOW)
Operated by AirTanker Services Limited. Dependent on primary mission (typically wet lease or damp lease), these are externally painted white with lessor airline logos, or low-visibility matt-grey (identical to the RAF Voyagers) with AirTanker logos for the individual airframe (currently G-VYGJ) permanently tasked for the South Atlantic Air Bridge. All aircraft are identified by their
British civilian aircraft registration mark:[35]
A330-243 — qty 4 – demodified demilitarised A330 MRTT, operating purely as a civilian passenger airliner for short-term air charter or longer-term wet or damp lease.
The dates in service indicate the point in time when each aircraft was delivered to its operator at RAF Brize Norton, specifically for Voyager following conversion of existing civilian airliner by
Airbus Military into its MRTT specification; these airframes were individually manufactured some years earlier, the oldest airframe taking its first flight (as a civilian airliner prior to MRTT conversion) on 4 June 2009.[34]
One RAF Voyager KC3 (currently ZZ337) is permanently based at
RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands as part of
No. 1312 Flight RAF, to provide aerial refuelling for its 1312 Flt stablemate
A400M Atlas (and its former
C-130 Hercules) transport aircraft, along with the four
quick reaction alert (QRA)
Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets of
No. 1435 Flight RAF. An additional demilitarised A330-243 operated by AirTanker is used twice weekly to provide the air bridge between RAF Brize Norton in the UK and RAF Mount Pleasant in the South Atlantic.[3][11]
Accidents and incidents
On Sunday 9 February 2014, an RAF Voyager KC3, registration ZZ333, MSN 1312, was tasked with an
air transport flight from
RAF Brize Norton (IATA: BZZ, ICAO: EGVN) in Oxfordshire to
Camp Bastion (IATA: QOZ, ICAO: OAZI) in Afghanistan. With the
call sign ISF 63JW, operated by a crew of nine, and carrying 189 passengers, ZZ333 departed BZZ at 12:00
UTC for an estimated
flight duration of eight hours twenty minutes. At 15:49 UTC, whilst over the
Black Sea in Turkish airspace during hours of darkness, ZZ333 rapidly lost 4,440
feet (1,350
metres) of altitude in 27 seconds from its
autopilot-controlled
cruising altitude of 33,000 feet (10,000 metres), and reaching a maximum descent rate of 15,800
feet per minute (4,800
metres per minute). A maximum
indicated air speed of 358
knots (663
kilometres per hour; 412
miles per hour), or
Mach 0.9, was recorded during this descent while the co-pilot was out of the cockpit making a hot beverage in the forward
galley.[53] The co-pilot returned to the cockpit to a scene of disarray, audible alarms, and "violent shaking" of the aircraft. He reached over to his right-hand side-stick, pulling back to regain control of the aircraft. The sudden descent caused several injuries to twenty-five passengers and seven crew, some of whom struck the ceiling of the aircraft; they were attended by medical personnel onboard as passengers on the flight. A maximum
g-force of minus 0.56 g was recorded at the start of the
dive, and plus 2.06 g during the recovery to level flight. After gaining control, the aircraft
diverted to
Incirlik Air Base (IATA: UAB, ICAO: LTAG) in Turkey and landed without further incident. The incident resulted in the
grounding of the entire RAF Voyager fleet for twelve days, until it was determined by a United Kingdom
Military Aviation Authority (UK-MAA) report following an investigation by the Military
Air Accidents Investigation Branch (MilAAIB) at
Farnborough on 14 February 2014 that the event was caused by the captain's improperly stowed
DSLR camera being jammed between the captain's armrest and the side-stick controller, forcing the stick forward when the captain adjusted his seat forward.[8][54]
Gallery
AirTanker Holdings Limited gallery of aircraft
Early AirTanker
Royal Air Force Voyager landing at
RAF Fairford in 2011, still displaying its
Airbus Military registration MRTT016. Subsequently registered G-VYGE, currently registered ZZ334.
AirTanker Services liveried A330-243, G-VYGJ (
MSN: 1439), the airframe used for the South Atlantic Air Bridge, 2016.
ZZ336 Vespina, the AirTanker RAF Voyager KC3 (MSN: 1363) converted for VIP use, operated by
10 Squadron of the
Royal Air Force, whilst still retaining its core military capability of aerial tanker, 2022.
ZZ333 (MSN: 1312), one of the two Voyager KC3 aircraft involved in
Operation Shader at
RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, 2021.
^
abcdChapman, Khalem (27 June 2020).
"RAF's VIP Voyager resumes tanker operations". Key.Aero.
Key Publishing Ltd.
Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2024. The RAF's recently unveiled, special schemed Voyager KC2 [sic] – which will represent the UK in a VIP transport role – returned to its primary role in providing air-to-air refuelling (AAR) operations on June 26.