RAAF A340

[kjvmw]

Does anyone know why the RAAF have hired this? Pretty interesting Flightaware history.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1000x2000/screenshot_20210403_215536_d24aeb36a24062526346e815e3b0a561b d40e19e.png

[Duck Pilot]

Don’t think it’s operated by the RAAF. It’s contracted by the Australian government to transport troops in between Australia and the Middle East (UAE). It’s been operating for a few years, nothing new.

[Petropavlovsk]

Spanish or Portuguese outfit,
Been doing the Government contracts to mid east for about 10 years.
Operate A340's of various models
I believe thy have bought some early A380's

...

[Veruka Salt]

HiFly, from memory

[mates rates]

Yeh don’t give the contract to an Australian company,let’s give the Portuguese the job.😆

[On eyre]

Yeh don’t give the contract to an Australian company,let’s give the Portuguese the job.😆

Missed out did you ?

[mates rates]

No,but saw the aircraft sitting at the old domestic terminal at BNE often, when I went to the Sim Centre.There was an Australian company,whose name escapes me ,capable of doing the job at the time,but didn’t get the gig.That was my point.

[Runaway Gun]

I guess that sometimes foreign suppliers have better products or deals.

[TBM-Legend]

No,but saw the aircraft sitting at the old domestic terminal at BNE often, when I went to the Sim Centre.There was an Australian company,whose name escapes me ,capable of doing the job at the time,but didn’t get the gig.That was my point.

It's an Australian company that has the contract and leases from HiFly. Previously an A330. The multiple schedule changes didn't suit QF and VA at the time. The charter company had previously supplied an IL-76 Combi to the ADF.

[asw28-866]

https://www.adagold.com.au/what-we-do/air-charter/government-and-defence/

This mob I think...'866

[Runaway Gun]

Not Strategic Airlines reborn I take it?

[Dave Gittins]

Hi-Fly seem to have a good business doing ad-hoc charters, presumably where nobody else is available or has the capacity and flexibility. When TC went TU a year or two back their (very prettily painted) A-380 spent a good deal of time at Gatwick doing repatriation flights.

https://samchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/IMG_8595_resize.jpg

[mates rates]

Runaway gun,that’s the one I was thinking of,Strategic Airlines.

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

capable of doing the job at the time,but didn’t get the gig.
Strategic had the gig, and coincidentally dry leased a Hi-Fly aircraft to operate the route until they sourced their own A330. They then tried to be an airline too, went broke, and now Adagold does it with a wet leased Hi-Fly aircraft.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1024x768/cs_tmt_a330_air_luxor_stategic_lease__c974521664701eda426290 192d201e24a3f7e816.jpg
CS-TMT Hi-Fly (Strategic lease) NOV 2006



https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/dscn0066_eeba15e99ed4e10f8aaa323672ae97848a00e457.jpg
VH-SSA arrival July 2009 after Firies water salute.

I have one of the Hi-Fly A340 CS-TQM they leased, but I can't upload it.

[TwoFiftyBelowTen]

So then, it’s not as simple as the ADF requiring a quad after Strategic had kitted up a mere twin?

[601]

Adagold Aviation is an "charter management company".
Started back in the 80s. A search on CASA shows no AOC.

[FPDO]

you sound like a Bell End On Eyre

[FPDO]

I guess that sometimes foreign suppliers have better products or deals.
you too sound like a Bell End

[601]

you sound like a Bell End On Eyre
Facts my boy, facts.

[TBM-Legend]

So Qantas have been chartering Atlas Air [USA] for trans-Pac freight for years. What's the difference some of you guys?

*The RAAF have chartered Omega Air for tanking on many occasions along with An124's and Il-76's....

[Trojan1981]

There is actually a lot more to the current situation. There were allegations of corruption and backroom deals. I was quite involved with the day to day of this operation both on the JMOVGP and contractor side at different times and have my own thoughts.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/defence-contract-scandal-widens-20100817-128jr.html

The Adagold/Hifly aircraft are "rough" and many of the troops complain but they are much better than the dodgy Soviet turbo diesels provided previously. A number of incidents lead to the ADF banning personnel traveling on Soviet era aircraft. The RAAF also didn't have the capacity to provide the airlift support at the time but SHOULD do now. I'm not sure paying a broker to provide foreign jets on a long term contract is a good deal for the taxpayer.

[TWOTBAGS]

Some time back the ADF were in a huff that it needed to be provided by an Australian flagged carrier, it was offered to both VA (330) and QF (747 as RR powered machines were being retired) and both majors turned the job down. I know that two other local carriers seriously looked at the job but at the time everyone was told that the ADF would only offer 1 year contracts as they expected the KC-30 to take on the role and swap out the tanker aircraft supporting the Wedgetail and Superbug and others.
As it was short term no one would commit to the set up costs and ADF had no choice to continue using HiFly with some CC provided by Alliance. Plans obviously changed and the KC-30 never took on the job. 5 years later Adagold are still creaming it and the Australian companies that were offered the gig are not getting any benefit.
Simples

[TBM-Legend]

The RAAF doesn't have enough tankers now so this was only a dream by someone in Defence to use them on this type of op. The RAAF used Qantas to support ops from Japan/Korean War/Vietnam/Butterworth with DC-4's/B707/B747...

It seems the ADF has always been short of airlift.

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

During the worst of COVID, there were two A340's sitting in BNE, the second arrived to supply future backup/recovery in case of tech issues after the single one broke down somewhere en-route on one of the trips. Don't think the second ever moved in the months it was there.