Britain's air bases, Gaza and the Brize Norton case
Topic
7 investigations.
AirTanker & PFI
The RAF's tankers belong to AirTanker under a £10.5bn private finance deal, and its basic fast-jet trainers to a joint venture of KBR and Elbit Systems.
AirTanker & PFI
AirTanker's chief executive says both damaged Voyagers were recovered in under 21 days. Flight data shows one of them flying again 22 days after the protest, with the core fleet already stretched.
AirTanker & PFI
As far as the research shows, RAF Voyagers cannot refuel with a boom, and AirTanker, not the MoD, owns them. A King's College London report says the RAF depends on the US Air Force for wider capacity.
Explainers
The Voyager is a converted Airbus A330 that carries troops and cargo and refuels other jets in mid-air. Two Voyagers were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in June 2025.
AirTanker & PFI
Prosecutors and police have cited three different costs for damage to two RAF Voyager tankers. Declassified UK's Freedom of Information requests found the MoD cannot substantiate any of them.
AirTanker & PFI
The RAF's Voyager tankers belong to AirTanker, a private company, under a 2008 private finance initiative deal. A parliamentary committee later said it had not secured value for money.
AirTanker & PFI
No evidence of bribery has been exposed in the UK's PFI with AirTanker. Airbus and Rolls-Royce, a current and a former shareholder, have faced some of the largest UK corporate bribery penalties.
