Solutions Diverses

The UK Ministry of Defence has sub-leased two [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], according to the latter's interim financial results document.

Early this year, Cyprus Airways announced a recovery plan to help it respond to what it described as the effects of the global financial crisis and intensifying competition on its main routes.

"As a result of the modification of the flight programme, one [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] aircraft was available for sub-leasing," it said in its results statement. "Following an agreement concluded between the Ministry of Defence of the UK and the company, the aircraft was sub-leased for the period August to November 2011, as well as the second A330 for the period September to November 2011."

The sub-lease agreement is likely to have been made to support the "airbridge" used to transport personnel and equipment between [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and the Middle East for operations in Afghanistan.

The UK Royal Air Force will receive its first of 14 modified [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Voyager tanker/transports late this year via a private finance initiative deal with the AirTanker consortium.

London Stansted-based charter operator Titan Airways has won the contract to operate the 'air bridge' between the UK and the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.

The twice-weekly flights are operated from the UK Royal Air Force's main transport base at Brize Norton to the Mount Pleasant military air base on the Falklands.

Titan has operated on the route previously, when extensive runway repairs in 2010 at Mount Pleasant meant that the runway was only open for one 24h period per week. Titan was brought in for around six months to help the incumbent operator on the run, Air Seychelles, provide the necessary second flight within the 24h window.

Air Seychelles had been operating the service since early in 2010 and had a contract that was due to run until the end of 2011. Air Seychelles could not be reached for comment.

Titan has now been awarded the service, which came into effect on 4 September for a 12-month period. Like Air Seychelles, the UK-based airline will operate a Boeing 767-300ER on the route.

The aircraft will seat around 200 passengers, compared to the aircraft's normal 265-seat configuration; a medevac section at the rear of the cabin will contain stretchers with life support equipment plus two business-class seats for personnel suffering foot injuries.

Both outbound and return flights will make a stop at Ascension Island in the South Atlantic to take on fuel. The service will also use the stop to embark and disembark personnel on the island, which houses one of five ground antennae for the Global Positioning System and a European Space Agency tracking radar.