‘Botched’ RAF runway repairs ground PM’s VIP jet
THE RAF’s only runway at its main transport hub has not been fully operational for three weeks because of potholes that damaged Boris Johnson’s VIP jet
Families of troops returning from operations overseas have been left angry as flights have been delayed and diverted from RAF Brize Norton to Birmingham and Stansted airports.
Botched repair work carried out in the period of hot weather in July is said to be the cause, when newly laid runway repairs melted in the heat.
One Voyager aircraft – known as Vespina and painted in union flag livery – was damaged after landing on July 18, forcing the closure of the RAF’s single runway at the Oxfordshire logistic hub.
The MoD said the plane had picked up tar on its undercarriage and flap as it landed, caused by “newly laid crack repairs that had not set properly in the exceptional heat”.
The Sunday Telegraph understands senior RAF chiefs are “incensed” because they believe the runway should be able to withstand Britain’s weather.
Temporary repairs have failed “friction tests”, meaning that when it rains only a much-reduced length of runway can be used for smaller planes.
Amey, the lead contractor responsible for the runway repair, declined to comment to The Telegraph, saying it had provided information to the Defence Infrastructure organisation (DIO).
The MoD said Amey had won the repair contract “based on best value” to the taxpayer.
Andy Netherwood, a former RAF pilot, said the heat at the time of the incident was not “extreme” and was well within UK climate norms for July.
“RAF Brize Norton styles itself as the defence gateway to operations [but] the UK’s air defence and ability to project power overseas depends on its single runway,” he said. “The DIO must ensure that the disruption we have seen over the past few weeks never happens again.
“It might also be time to resist the decision to put all the RAF’s air mobility eggs in one basket.” The Telegraph understands the Defence Secretary’s recent global trip to reinforce Britain’s international military ties was also affected.
Returning to the UK after lauding Britain’s military capability to allies, Ben Wallace had to be diverted to Stansted as the sole runway at RAF Brize Norton was unusable. RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire is the largest RAF station with approximately 5,800 service personnel, 1,200 contractors and 300 civilian staff.
The patch-and-crack repair works were necessary because of the age of the runway, with combined costs for all works of around £700,000.
The fleet of Voyagers are used for air refuelling and strategic transport over long distances. They need the full length of the RAF Brize Norton runway to take off and land.
Since the incident the fleet has been operating from Birmingham and Stansted. Some were stranded at the Oxfordshire airbase, unable to take off until temporary repairs were made.
A spokesman for Stansted airport said that five RAF Voyagers conducted 20 flights between July 11 and 28. The aircraft were located on the north side of the airport, away from civilian passenger operations.
The MoD said the landing fees for use of alternative airfields were “negligible and covered in annual operating costs”.
The other aircraft at the RAF base – the propeller-driven fleets of A400M, C-17 and C-130 tactical air transport aircraft – have been able to continue operations, albeit with reduced range and payloads because of the shorter runway.
The Vespina aircraft damaged in the July 18 incident has been dubbed “Boris Force One” after critics complained the paint job, as part of the £75million contract, was the Prime Minister’s vanity project. The RAF website says “the smart new paint scheme will promote the UK around the world while transporting ministers, senior members of the Royal family and their delegations on trade, diplomatic and other missions”. The Telegraph understands that 400 people rotating to and from Operation Fortis, the ongoing deployment of the Carrier Strike Group to the Indo-Pacific region, have been impacted by the runway issues. Delays are causing “chaos” with pre-travel Covid tests going out of date.
It is understood that the Vespina aircraft took a 15 minute flight yesterday, which suggests a mandatory safety check after maintenance. An MoD spokesman said it was repaired at “no additional cost” to the taxpayer. “The minor damage sustained to a tyre and flap has been fully rectified within the routine maintenance contract and the aircraft is now fully serviceable.”
With less than half of the 3km runway currently open, flights are returning military personnel from operational deployments in Estonia are reported to have been affected and 400 troops were stranded at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at one point.