AirTanker Services

AirTanker Services Limited, incorporated in England and Wales on 14 July 2007 (2007-07-14),[1] is a private limited company in the United Kingdom, operating as AirTanker, a British aircraft leasing and operating company. Under contract to the British Government, it provides a fleet of fourteen Airbus A330 MRTT multi-role tanker / transport aircraft, known by the service name Voyager, to the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a tanker aircraft for aerial refuelling, troop and cargo transport, and aeromedical roles.[1] For additional revenue, it operates air charter flights using reserve aircraft.

AirTanker
IATA ICAO Callsign
9L TOW TOWLINE
Founded14 July 2007 (2007-07-14)[1]
Commenced operationsJanuary 2013 (2013-01)
AOC #2388[2]
Operating basesRAF Brize Norton
RAF Mount Pleasant
Focus citiesManchester Airport
Fleet size14
Parent company
HeadquartersAirTanker Hub,
RAF Brize Norton,
Carterton,
Oxon, OX18 3LX,
United Kingdom[1][3]
Websitewww.airtanker.co.uk
Early AirTanker Royal Air Force Voyager landing at RAF Fairford in 2011, still displaying its Airbus Military registration MRTT016
Royal Air Force Voyager KC2 ZZ330 displaying the RAF 100 centenary anniversary markings, 2018.
An AirTanker Airbus A330 G-VYGK wet-leased to Thomas Cook Airlines, 2015.
ZZ336 Vespina, the AirTanker Voyager KC3 converted for VIP use, operated by 10 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, whilst still retaining its core military capability of aerial tanker.

AirTanker Services is owned by a consortium of Airbus, Rolls-Royce plc, Cobham plc, Babcock International, and Thales Group.[4] Its registered office is AirTanker Hub at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.[1]

History

In 2008, the Ministry of Defence signed the finalised Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) contract with AirTanker to provide the Royal Air Force (RAF) with an air transport and air-to-air refuelling capability. As well as supporting the RAF, AirTanker holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, permitting it to carry passengers, cargo, and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.[5][6]

Following the granting of an air operating licence, the airline flew its first charter flight to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus for the UK Ministry of Defence in January 2013.[7] After delays in certification, its first operational refuelling flight took place on 20 May 2013.[8]

From May 2015, AirTanker leased one aircraft to Thomas Cook Airlines to be deployed on holiday routes. The contract ran for three years, and involved mainly long haul flights from Glasgow, Manchester, and London Stansted Airport. The first commercial flight took place on 1 May 2015 from Manchester to Cancun and Punta Cana.[9]

On 30 September 2016, AirTanker 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 aircraft.

AirTanker also provides twice-weekly scheduled passenger flights between RAF Brize Norton and RAF Mount Pleasant on the Falkland Islands mainly for military personnel, though fare-paying passengers are also allowed to travel. These flights formerly refuelled at RAF Ascension Island but due to the deteriorating condition of its runway, the refuelling stop is now at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Cape Verde. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this was moved to Dakar. However, in June 2020, G-VYGM set a record by flying direct from Brize Norton to Mount Pleasant without refuelling.[10]

Fleet

AirTanker has a 27-year contract to provide fourteen aircraft: a 'core' fleet of nine military aircraft, eight with military registrations and one civilian registration, and a 'surge' fleet of five civil registered unmilitarised aircraft which it uses for additional revenue.[11] This subsequently increased to a military core fleet of ten aircraft, the civilian surge fleet reducing to four.

AirTanker fleet (Feb 2022)[12]
military
reg.		civilian
reg.		MSNtypeoperator / userpassenger capacitybasednotes
ZZ330G-VYGA1046Voyager KC2RAF291
ZZ331G-VYGB1248Voyager KC2RAF291originally EC-331
ZZ332G-VYGCVoyager KC3RAF291RAF Brize Norton
ZZ333G-VYGD1312Voyager KC3RAF291RAF Brize Norton
ZZ334G-VYGE1033Voyager KC3RAF291RAF Brize Norton
ZZ335G-VYGFVoyager KC3RAF291RAF Brize Norton
ZZ336G-VYGG1363Voyager KC3RAF (VIP transport)VIP, 158 including 58 business class seats[13]RAF Brize Norton
ZZ337G-VYGH1390Voyager KC3RAF291RAF Brize Norton
ZZ338G-VYGIVoyager KC3RAF291
ZZ339G-VYGJ1439A330-243AirTanker for RAF[14]
ZZ340G-VYGK1498A330-243AirTanker
(formerly Thomas Cook UK Airlines)		320 economy when leased[15]Manchester
ZZ341G-VYGL1555A330-243AirTanker for Jet2.com
(formerly TUIfly)
(formerly RAF)		327 economy when leased
(formerly 299 economy)[15]		Manchester
ZZ342G-VYGM1601A330-243AirTanker
(formerly Thomas Cook UK Airlines)		311 economy when leased[15]Manchester & Glasgow
ZZ343G-VYGN1610Voyager KC2RAF

References
  1. "AirTanker Services Limited - Company number 06279646 - overview". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Companies House, Government of the United Kingdom. n.d. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  2. "UK Aeroplane and Helicopter AOC Holders (A-C)" (PDF). CAA.co.uk. Civil Aviation Authority. 3 April 2023. p. 2. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  3. "AirTanker - Legal Information". AirTanker.co.uk. AirTanker Services. 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  4. "AirTanker Services Limited - Company number 06279646 - people". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Companies House, Government of the United Kingdom. n.d. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  5. "Type A Operating Licence Holders". CAA.co.uk. Civil Aviation Authority. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014.
  6. "AirTanker - Compliance and Regulation". AirTanker.co.uk. AirTanker Services. 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  7. "AirTanker's first flight as an airline". AirTanker.co.uk. AirTanker Services. 22 January 2013. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  8. Osborne, Anthony (20 May 2013). "AirTanker cleared to begin air-to-air refueling operations". AviationWeek.com. Aviation Week. Archived from the original on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  9. "AirTanker makes commercial debut". Airliner World: 5. July 2015.
  10. "UK/Falklands air bridge sets two new records with the A330-200". MercoPress.com. MercoPress. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  11. "Voyager". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force.
  12. "G-INFO - AirTanker". CAA.co.uk. Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  13. Stevenson, Beth (6 July 2016). "RAF reveals VIP-configured Voyager". www.Flightglobal.com. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  14. "G-VYGJ AirTanker Airbus A330-200". www.planespotters.net. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  15. "AirTanker Leasing - Our Customers". AirTanker.co.uk. AirTanker Services. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
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