The upgraded aircraft will continue to fly alongside the UK Government’s existing RAF Voyager Airbus A330.
The Airbus A321neo used by UK prime minister Rishi Sunak is set to be enhanced to feature a larger bathroom and increased wardrobe space. The upgrade is due to take place at some point this year, and the aircraft will remain on lease with the UK Government until at least 2027, flying alongside the existing RAF Voyager Airbus A330-200 (pictured above).
The new bathroom will be 30 cm wider, and will boast a number of enhanced features, including a full-length mirror and changing bench. Also on the aircraft will be an upgraded wardrobe and two conference tables. According to The Times newspaper, the swap will come at ‘no extra cost,’ much to taxpayers’ relief.
The UK Government’s narrowbody aircraft, G-GBNI, began operating official flights in April 2022, and is one of three Airbus A321neos in Titan Airways’ fleet, with an average age of 2.6 years. The aircraft features a VIP layout of just 52 business class seats and 12 economy class seats, similar to another of Titan Airways’ Airbus A321neos, G-XATW, which operates luxury charter flights on behalf of TCS World Travel.
Simple Flying has reached out to Titan Airways for comment.
The UK Government’s Airbus A330 and Airbus A321neo
The UK Government currently uses an RAF Voyager Airbus A330-200 and a Titan Airways Airbus A321neo for its operations. The leases for each aircraft began in 2016 and 2021, respectively.
The Airbus A330-200, registered as ZZ336, is usually reserved for longer flights. In the past week, it has only made one trip from its base at RAF Brize Norton. Its unusual routing can be seen on Flightradar24.com:
Meanwhile, the Airbus A321neo departed from London Stansted Airport (STN) on January 16th, bound for Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The aircraft then flew onwards to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) before heading back across the Atlantic a few days later.
Controversial use of aircraft
From Boris Johnson’s $1 million rebranding of the RAF Voyager Airbus A330-200 to Liz Truss’ $671,000 Airbus A321neo trip to Australia, the UK Government’s use of aircraft has been plagued by controversy in recent years.
Photo: Rob Wade | Shutterstock
And just last week, Rishi Sunak came under fire for using a private jet to travel the 250 miles north to Blackpool. This was the prime minister’s third private jet trip in just ten days, after previously visiting Edinburgh and Leeds. All three journeys could have been made by train from London, leading to accusations of wasting taxpayers’ money and causing unnecessary environmental damage. A spokesperson for the opposition party said,
“Jetting around the country on taxpayers’ money like an A-list celeb rather than catching a train like the rest of us is simply absurd.”
What do you think of the UK Government’s plan to replace its existing Airbus A321neo with an almost identical aircraft? Share your thoughts by commenting below.
Source: The Times
Source: simpleflying.com
