The refitted Voyager will be tasked with flying senior ministers to global events and summits and is still fully capable of its original role as a tanker.
The aircraft is making its maiden flight this week.
The Voyager aircraft has been refitted at a cost of about £10m, in order to save about £775,000 per year as the plane will be cheaper than chartering flights, delivering significant savings for the tax payer.
The Airbus A330 Voyager is an aerial refuelling tanker aircraft with transport capabilities and is based on the civilian Airbus A330. The multi-role A330 tanker/transport has been ordered by the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Air Force, United Arab Emirates Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Force and Republic of Singapore Air Force.
Official flights using either Royal Squadron planes or long haul charter, cost on average £6,700 per flying hour while using a Voyager aircraft would cost £2,000. It would be available for refuelling when it wasn’t in use.
The refit involved 58 business seats being fitted with the Ministry of Defence saying this will “allow it to transport sizeable business delegations”.
Government flights, using either Royal Squadron planes or long-haul charter, cost on average £6,700 per flying hour, a source said, and the RAF aircraft will cost £2,000.
A government spokesperson said:
“As part of the government’s defence review, we have been looking at ways to make better use of the RAF fleet to transport senior ministers and consequently deliver savings for taxpayers.
We have decided to adapt one of our existing Voyager aircraft so that, in addition to its primary air tanking role, it can transport Ministers and it will also be available for the Royal family to use.”
The Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport is an aerial refuelling tanker aircraft based on the civilian Airbus A330. The A330 MRTT has been ordered by the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Air Force, United Arab Emirates Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Force and Republic of Singapore Air Force.
Before anyone barks up!! This actually more cost effective and better use of the raf planes in use than paying to hire private planes
Just out of interest by “existing ” is it one of the 9 in service with 10/ 101 (8 tankers/ one uncoverted aircraft) or one of the 5 “surge” fleet?
Good money well spent, in the long run it would be cheaper. Unlike the mirror posted. Does it have a control center kind in the plane? of thing like air force one might have, or is it just a tanker and transport. UK Defence Journal
I think I did read somewhere that some of the cost was for extra secure comms for government business. Can anyone confirm that?
Looking at the picture I’m wondering what else there is. 2 doors right at the back seem to lead to another cabin. Is that regular “economy class” seating for the press pack or do they travel up front in the business class seats? Is there any more stuff forward of the area shown such as a comms centre and/or private meeting area? If the press pack are travelling in the seating area shown in the picture then I would hope there is a private meeting room so that classified meetings can happen en-route.
This seems to me such a good idea I wonder why we haven’t done it previously.
But then again we didn’t have the Voyagers earlier.
The size of the planes should make quite an impression in future trade delegations.
It’s about time, I believe, that we furnished our ministers with dedicated transport. We may have a tradition of loathing those same ministers, but that’s no reason to be shabby.