UK’s Titan Airways to operate A321neo for the government

Titan Airways (ZT, London Stansted) is set to operate its first A321-200NX(LR) on behalf of the British government. The Airbus narrowbody has already been painted with a livery resembling Royal Air Force’s VIP-configurable A330-200(MRTT). G-XATW (msn 10150) was delivered to the British charter specialist in October 2020 but has never been deployed into revenue service so far. Following a brief period of storage at London Stansted, Titan ferried the aircraft to Bordeaux for cabin outfitting on November 15, 2020. It returned to the UK – first to Norwich for repainting and then to Stansted, where it remains – in March 2021. According to the ch-aviation fleets ownership module, the A321neo is owned by Air Lease Corporation. It was initially earmarked for operations under a long-term charter agreement with ultra-luxury tour operator TCS World Travel, which plans to operate the first round-the-world post-COVID itinerary in October 2021. It is unclear if the aircraft will be exclusively operated for the government or also be available for Titan Airways’ in-house charter flights when not needed for official duties. The carrier did not respond to ch-aviation’s query in that regard. The UK’s current VIP aircraft, ZZ336 (msn 1363), plays the role of both a government transport and a multi-role tanker for the RAF. Titan Airways is expecting the delivery of its second A321-200NX(LR) shortly. The British government also has access to two passenger-configured BAe 146-100s. The quadjets are operated by the 32 (Royal) Squadron, which caters to the transport needs of the royal family and the elected officials. The aircraft are scheduled for retirement by the end of March 2022.