RAF planes await order to set off to collect PPE from Turkey
 

Article on The Guardian website this afternoon.

RAF planes await order to set off to collect PPE from Turkey

A400 ZM416 currently is in decent about 30nm NW of Istanbul.

If the A400 is “pre-positioning”, why does the other A400 and C17 not pre-position, if not to Turkey, possibly Akrotiri, unless UK gov does not believe that all the kit will be provided?

Why would you send aircraft before their load is ready to be collected? They can still be used for other commitments until needed. ;)

Short flight to Istanbul, saving time on outbound positioning flights (are the loads not urgent?) and crews rested so that the aircraft could operate Akrotiri/Istanbul/Brize in a normal duty day.

BA have flown multiple return trips to Shanghai with B777 bringing in PPE in Holds, and cabin loaded. Carry double LR augmented crew.
No layover, 2 hour turnaround and straight back. Gets the kit to the UK in 28 hrs.

BA 777s (and 747s) have proper rest facilities on board.

And no shortage of crews available due to reduced levels of activity, which is a bit different to an Air Mobility Force that is still in heavy demand.

So why not have BA pick up the PPE from Turkey.....?

Yes sorry, my post not meant as criticism of RAF. But the airline appears has more spare capacity and proven flexibility of operations, than the RAF, in respect of this urgent requirement.

Update in The Guardian.
Turkish PPE flight: only 'slim' chance goods will arrive in UK today

At least one A400M has been near Bristol on a number of evenings in the past week or so. Unmistakable sound.

They seem to have been taking the opportunity to visit a number of civvie airfields - Luton as well..................

Other than covering standing commitments in terms of resupplying garrisons and troops deployed.......and carting stuff around for NHS/aeromed etc. Pretty normal tasking, I'd say. Maybe a bit of trg too.....

ZM416 just airborne from Istanbul by the looks as RRR4995

Virgin are doing the same 3 x a week with a 787

Virgin were doing it 19 days before BA even got slightly organised...

C-17 just departed that direction though I’m not sure of destination.

At the risk of sounding cynical, is the use of the RAF for this task not just a PR stunt to make it look like the Government are pulling out all of the stops?
In truth the deployment of a military aircraft fo the trip to Turkey probably made it marginally more difficult from an administrative perspective, and the task could easily have been completed by the civilian airfreight sector, which is demonstrably still operational and effective if the fruit (South America) and vegetables (Africa) in my fridge are anything to go by.
Come to think of it, would it not be better to outsource the procurement of PPE to Tesco/Asda/Sainsburys who seem to be able to manage their supply chains rather well?
Ps Interesting that NHS Scotland managed to charter a 747 to bring in a load of PPE in to Prestwick at the weekend.