AirTanker

A gray A330 with RAF roundels, two refueling pods under the wings – and a serial on the tail that starts with ZZ. If you photograph an aircraft like that, you have a Voyager of the Royal Air Force in front of your lens. Behind it, though, is not the air force alone but a company: AirTanker. This page explains how the unusual model of private firm and military works, how to tell the 14 aircraft apart and what the white government Voyager is all about.

AirTanker at a glance

AirTanker is not an airline in the usual sense, even though the company has a British operating license, an IATA code and its own callsign. It is the consortium that provides the Royal Air Force with its strategic tanker and transport aircraft. The basis is the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) program: in March 2008 the British Ministry of Defence signed a contract with AirTanker for 14 Airbus A330 MRTTs with a term of 27 years.

The principle differs markedly from countries like Germany, where the Flugbereitschaft of the BMVg (the German Defense Ministry’s air transport wing) operates the air force’s own aircraft. In Great Britain the tankers belong to the company. AirTanker takes care of maintenance, training and the infrastructure at the site, while the RAF uses the aircraft for its operations. In addition there are so-called Sponsored Reservists: pilots and technicians who are employed by AirTanker and at the same time fly and work as reservists in RAF units.

The consortium was founded by big names of the aviation industry: Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Cobham, Babcock International and Thales. The shareholdings have shifted over the years, and among other things an infrastructure investor joined. Rolls-Royce contributes not only capital but also the fleet’s Trent engines, and the refueling pods come from Cobham.

History: from the VC10 to the Voyager

Until the 2010s, the RAF refueled its jets with two aging types: the Vickers VC10 and the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, some of which came from airline stock. Both were expensive to maintain and technically at the end of their lives. The FSTA program was meant to bring not just new aircraft but also a new financing model: instead of buying the aircraft itself, the ministry pays for an agreed service.

The main milestones at a glance:

• June 2007: AirTanker Services Limited is registered in England.
• March 2008: The Ministry of Defence signs the FSTA contract for 14 A330 MRTTs.
• 2012: The first Voyagers enter service with the RAF, at first mainly as transports.
• 2013: The VC10s fly for the last time, and No. 101 Squadron switches to the Voyager.
• October 2013: The air bridge to the South Atlantic from Brize Norton to the Falkland Islands runs with the Voyager.
• March 2014: The TriStars are retired.
• March 2016: The last of the 14 aircraft is delivered, and in May the converted government Voyager ZZ336 enters service.
• 2020: ZZ336 receives its white livery with a Union Jack.
• November 2022: A Voyager completes a flight on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel – according to those involved, a world first for a military transport aircraft of this size.

Since 2014 the Voyagers have also been deployed from Akrotiri in the campaign against the so-called Islamic State. Since the FSTA contract runs for 27 years, the Voyagers will remain a fixture of the traffic in the skies over southern England for many years to come.

Codes, callsigns and serials

At AirTanker two worlds meet, and you can see it in the codes:

• IATA code 9L: Important for civil charter operations, but rarely visible in spotters’ everyday life.
• ICAO code TOW: Civil AirTanker flights run under this code in the flight plan and on trackers.
• Callsign “TOWLINE”: A nice nod to the refueling hose trailing behind the aircraft.
• Military serial ZZ330 to ZZ343: Each of the 14 aircraft has an RAF serial from this series.
• Civil registrations G-VYGA to G-VYGN: The aircraft are additionally entered in the British register so that they may fly civil when needed.

This is exactly where the trap for collectors lies: Some aircraft carry both identities, others only one of them depending on their role. When you log a sighting, it’s therefore best to note the identity you actually read on the fuselage and match it up afterward. How the British register works and where to look up G- registrations is explained in the post British G- registrations.

The fleet: 14 Airbus A330 MRTTs

The entire fleet consists of a single type: the Airbus A330 MRTT – MRTT stands for Multi Role Tanker Transport. The basis is the civil Airbus A330-200, powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 772B engines. The tanker can carry about 111 tonnes of fuel and offload a large part of it to other aircraft. At the same time it transports soldiers, passengers or cargo – the cabin resembles that of an airliner.

Voyager KC2 and KC3

The RAF has two versions:

Variant	Equipment	Typical task
Voyager KC2	Two Cobham refueling pods under the outer wings	Refueling fighter jets such as the Typhoon and F-35
Voyager KC3	Plus a refueling unit under the fuselage	Also supplying larger aircraft via the centerline
Civil A330	Demilitarized, without refueling equipment	Charter and wet lease for other airlines

All RAF Voyagers work with the probe-and-drogue method. The British aircraft don’t have a rigid refueling boom, as many other A330 MRTTs have, for example in Australia or in the multinational MRTT fleet in Europe. Aircraft that can only refuel via a boom, such as the C-17 or the P-8, therefore can’t be supplied by the Voyager.

Core and surge fleet

The contract divides the 14 aircraft into a core fleet, which is permanently available to the RAF, and a surge fleet, which is added in an emergency. In quieter times AirTanker may market the surge aircraft for civil use. Originally there were nine core and five surge aircraft; later the core fleet was enlarged to ten. The aircraft used civil were demilitarized for this, that is, operated without refueling equipment.

The government Voyager ZZ336 “Vespina”

The best-known aircraft in the fleet is not a gray tanker but a glossy white jet. In early 2016 the Voyager ZZ336 was converted for flights of the royal family, the prime minister and members of government. The conversion cost around ten million pounds – the ministry calculated that this would save the expensive charter flights for government travel. In May 2016 the aircraft entered service in its new role.

The cabin is split in two: 58 business seats up front for the delegation and government, 100 premium economy seats in the back for staff, support personnel and press. Add to that satellite communications and protection systems against missiles. Important for spotters: ZZ336 remains a full-fledged Voyager and can still be used for transport and refueling.

In 2020 the aircraft got its current look: glossy white and a Union Jack on the vertical stabilizer, along with the RAF roundels and the military serial. The RAF gave the aircraft the name “Vespina”. The repaint was politically controversial; according to media reports it cost just under a million pounds. For spotters it’s a stroke of luck, because ZZ336 stands out clearly from the rest of the gray fleet.

Civil operations: charter and wet lease

Through the surge fleet, AirTanker has a side that surprises many spotters: civil-registered A330s have flown for leisure airlines in the past. For example, the then Thomas Cook Airlines used two A330s from AirTanker in the mid-2010s. Later, civil-registered aircraft flew for Jet2, based at Manchester Airport. Where to stand there is shown in the guide Plane spotting in Manchester.

These aircraft wore the colors or logos of the respective customer and a G-VYGx registration – there was little outward sign of a military tanker. Which aircraft are leased out civil today changes with the RAF’s needs and the contracts. So check current sources before you wait specifically for a civil AirTanker A330.

How to recognize a Voyager

A Voyager is quickly identified as an A330: two engines, the typical long wing with winglets, the A330 landing gear with two main legs. If you’re unsure about A330 versus A340, the post How to tell the A330 from the A340 helps. The actual identifying features are in the details.

Other countries fly the A330 MRTT too, often also in gray. The roundels and the ZZ serial clearly separate the British Voyager from the aircraft of other air forces. Recognizing tanker aircraft and Recognizing military transports give you a general overview. The predecessor in Germany, by the way, was the Airbus A310 MRTT; today at many air forces the Airbus A400M takes over tactical transport and tanker duties.

Spotting AirTanker and the Voyagers

Voyagers have no public schedule. Your chances depend on where you stand – and on whether exercises, deployments or airshows are under way.

Brize Norton is the home of the fleet and at the same time the RAF’s largest base. Voyagers take off and land here regularly on transport and tanker missions, and No. 10 and No. 101 Squadron are based here, too. Photograph only from public roads and paths and follow all signs at the fence. What is allowed at military airfields and what isn’t, you can read in Photographing military airfields.

Airshows are the most relaxed opportunity. At the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford, tankers regularly feature in the program, on the ground or in a flypast. An overview of further events is in the post Airshows in Europe.

Other British military airfields see the Voyager less often, but over the training areas Typhoons frequently refuel. If you’re traveling in England anyway, the viewing area at RAF Coningsby is worthwhile for the jets and the RAF Museum in Cosford for the history of the air force – with a bit of luck a Voyager passes by there, too.

Civil airports see Voyagers mainly when troops are redeployed, state visits are flown or evacuations are organized. On state visits and summits, ZZ336 also lands at major airports in Europe.

Common mix-ups

• Mistaking AirTanker for a normal airline – the company primarily provides aircraft and service to the RAF.
• Confusing the Voyager with A330 MRTTs of other countries – roundels and the ZZ serial show you the British aircraft.
• Noting only one identity – on some aircraft the ZZ serial and the G- registration belong together.
• Thinking every white British jet is “Vespina” – only ZZ336 is the government Voyager.
• Expecting a refueling boom – the RAF Voyagers refuel only via hose and drogue.
• Looking for VC10s and TriStars in current photos – both have been out of service since 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Conclusion

AirTanker is one of the most unusual companies in British skies: a firm with an airline license whose 14 Airbus A330 MRTTs fly as Voyagers for the Royal Air Force. For spotters the fleet is manageable and yet demanding – double identities, two tanker variants, aircraft that were used civil for a time and, with ZZ336 “Vespina”, a real government aircraft. If you keep an eye on Brize Norton and the airshow season and log carefully, you can complete the fleet step by step.