Flight ASY365, which took off from Sydney Airport on Thursday evening at 9.08pm, was no peculiar flight.
ASY365 was the flight quantity for the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s VIP journey to London for the Queen’s funeral, which travelled from Sydney to Singapore, then Dubai, earlier than touchdown in London on Friday at 4.10pm after greater than 27 hours since departure.
About 4000 folks logged on to FlightRadar24.com to trace the flight, greater than a median flight however far fewer than the 5 million who tuned in for the Queen’s ultimate flight – the return of her coffin from Edinburgh to London final week. The flight route reveals the aircraft took a circuitous route by way of the Center East, flying over Saudi Arabia and Egypt, presumably because of safety considerations. Business flights from the United Arab Emirates to London sometimes fly over Iraq or Iran.
The Royal Australian Air Drive aircraft is a modified KC-30A Multi-Function Tanker Transport, which in itself is a modified Airbus A330 jet.
The RAAF has six KC-30A plane, designed for performing refuelling operations mid-flight. The Prime Minister’s aircraft, registration A39-007, has been modified to offer creature comforts to the passengers on board, with room for greater than 100 passengers.
The PM will get his personal top quality part with two lie-flat seats, and there are additionally 24 business-class fashion lie-flat seats.
Much less essential passengers (such because the media) are relegated to one of many 52 financial system class seats on the rear of the aircraft (although those that’ve flown on board say they’re extra snug than financial system on industrial airways and the meals is significantly better).
There’s additionally a piece space on board with 12 extra lie-flat seats with desks, together with a safe convention room.
There are as much as eight flight attendants on board, together with a caterer.
The aircraft started its life as a Qantas jet in 2008 earlier than being refitted by Airbus’ defence division and getting into service with the RAAF in 2019.
On the time, then-prime minister Scott Morrison joked that the aircraft can be dubbed “Shark One” – in reference to his favorite Nationwide Rugby League group, the Cronulla Sharks, and the US president’s well-known plane, Air Drive One.
The improve to make the aircraft match for a main minister (or governor basic) price a whopping $250 million, although it’s nonetheless capable of carry out navy duties.
Previous to the arrival of A39-007, prime ministers jetted about in a Boeing 737, with room for simply 30 passengers on board. The Boeing Enterprise Jets had been launched in 2002 however had a restricted vary in contrast with the KC-30A which required further stops. The 737s are nonetheless used for short-haul and home flights.
The KC-30A means journalists overlaying the prime minister’s work can journey on board and arrive with him, when beforehand they had been pressured to fly individually on industrial flights – usually ensuing within the media arriving late (and exhausted) for main occasions.
The Prime Minister obtained permission to fly to London on board the VIP jet regardless of a proper request from UK officers for world leaders to make use of industrial flights because of an absence of capability for personal jets at London’s Heathrow airport. These travelling on personal flights had been requested to land at smaller airports. The Prime Minister’s flight landed at Stansted Airport, about 65 kilometres north-east of central London.
It was additionally requested that just one consultant of every nation attend the Queen’s funeral, however the rule didn’t apply to Commonwealth nations.
Among the many company who travelled on board are Governor-Normal David Hurley, and 9 “on a regular basis Australians” together with tennis legend and Australian of the 12 months Dylan Alcott, Younger Australian of the 12 months Dr Trudy Lin and Senior Australian of the 12 months Valmai Dempsey. A ten invited visitor, horse coach Chris Waller, needed to pull out of the journey after a detailed member of the family contracted COVID-19
Racing identities Gai and Robbie Waterhouse, who had been invited because of their connection to the Queen’s horses, had been unable to safe industrial flights so had been additionally invited to hitch the flight.
The Prime Minister will return to Australia on board A39-007 after formalities for the Queen’s funeral conclude, in time for Thursday’s Nationwide Day of Mourning.
See additionally: The personal jet Scott Morrison flew to Sydney on throughout lockdown
See additionally: From Royal yachts to non-public jumbo jets: How the Queen travelled to Australia
