Titan Airways

Last updated

Titan Airways
Titan Airways logo.svg
IATA ICAO Callsign
ZT [1] AWCZAP
Founded1988;35 years ago (1988)
AOC # 1212
Fleet size12
Headquarters London Stansted Airport,
United Kingdom
Key peopleAlastair Wilson, Managing Director
Website titan-airways.com

Titan Airways is a British charter airline founded in 1988 and based at London Stansted Airport. The carrier specialises in short-notice ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance) and wet lease operations as well as ad-hoc passenger and cargo charter services to tour operators, corporations, governments and the sports and entertainment sectors. [2] The company holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats. [3]

Contents

History

A former Titan Airways ATR42-300 operated for now defunct CityFlyer Express in 1993. ATR ATR-42-300, Cityflyer Express AN0204088.jpg
A former Titan Airways ATR42-300 operated for now defunct CityFlyer Express in 1993.
Titan Airways Short 330 in 1994. Short SD3-30 G-ZAPC Titan HStF 08.03.94 edited-2.jpg
Titan Airways Short 330 in 1994.

Founded in 1988 as a subsidiary of the Artac Freight and Shipping Group, Titan Airways was named after its first aircraft type, a Cessna 404 Titan, however, the airline's logo draws reference to Titan, a moon of Saturn. Their Cessna 404 aircraft were mainly used to carry car parts between various Ford/General Motors facilities in the UK and Europe, but it was also available for ad hoc freight charters and ultimately passenger charters. By 1993, the fleet had grown to include an Embraer Emb 110 Bandeirante, two Short SD 330s and three SD 360s. [4]

The airline's success attracted investment group 3i which took a stake in the company in 1995. Two ATR 42s were also added before the first jet – a BAe 146-200QC – was acquired in 1996. This was the first containerised jet used by the Royal Mail, but it also operated many passenger charter flights and airline sub-services. As the Mail contract grew in size, the first of five Boeing 737-300s was introduced in 1999. [4]

The airline has been consistently profitable, turning a profit in 24 of its 27-year history and has ranked in the Sunday Times Profit Track 100 league table on four occasions since the year 2000. [5] In the early 2000s (decade) Titan Airways found an additional niche in the market, pioneering a rapid response Go Now sub-charter service for airlines experiencing operational problems. The innovative concept earned the company Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2001. [6]

Demand by customer airlines for more seats and greater range led to the acquisition of two 757-200s in 2003 and 2005, with one aircraft having a VIP interior for corporate use. In 2006 Titan achieved ETOPS rating for the aircraft, enabling long haul charters to the US and Middle East. The largest aircraft in the Titan family, a 265-seat B767-300, joined the fleet in 2009, and the smallest, a new Cessna Citation CJ2+ arrived in December 2011. [7]

In 2012 Titan became an independent company, following a management buyout that left Gene Willson, Managing Director and one of the original founders, as the sole share holder. [8]

Titan added its first Airbus aircraft, an Airbus A320, [9] to its fleet in early Spring 2013. This addition was the first step in its long-term fleet strategy which will see Titan's current fleet of Boeing aircraft gradually being replaced by Airbus aircraft over the next five to six years. [10] Two additional A320s joined the fleet in early 2015. [11]

September 2015 saw Titan announce plans to add an Airbus A319 and Airbus A321 to the fleet before the start of summer 2016 and that they were considering adding the smallest member of the Airbus A320 family, an Airbus A318, to their fleet. [12]

In early 2023, Titan Airways retired both their last Boeing 737 and 757 aircraft. [13]

Operations

Titan Airways Airbus A321-200 operating on lease to Jet2.com. Airbus A321-211 'G-POWV' (30170296338).jpg
Titan Airways Airbus A321-200 operating on lease to Jet2.com.

Airline sub-charter and lease

Titan Airways provides short, medium or long term wet and damp lease operations worldwide to third party carriers. The UK carrier also operates short notice sub-charter services, with the ability to launch aircraft within 60 minutes when airline customers experience unexpected operational problems. [14]

Tour operator flight series

Titan Airways operates charter flights on a seasonal basis to a number of destinations on behalf of UK-based tour operators and cruise companies. Longstanding tour operator partnerships include regular operations from UK airports to Calvi in Corsica, Lourdes and Chambéry in France, Turin in Italy, [15] Dalaman in Turkey, Preveza in Greece and Banjul in the Gambia. [16]

Ad hoc charter

Aside from these regular seasonal routes, Titan Airways operates long and short haul flights on an ad hoc basis on behalf of individuals, blue chip companies, Premier League football teams, high-profile personalities and pop/rock groups. [2] In September 2021, after a 19 months hiatus in filming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, season 33 of the USA TV series "The Amazing Race" resumed. For the safety of the racers and the crew, instead of going back to taking commercial flights as they had done in the past, they used a Titan Airways Boeing 757 with an "Amazing Race" livery.

Corporate events

Titan Airways sometimes uses their aircraft in product launches, trade shows, promotional events and hospitality trips for other companies. [17]

Royal Mail

Titan Airways’ cooperation with the Royal Mail dates back to the early 1990s when operations began with the carrier's Short 360 and ATR 42 aircraft. In 1996 the carrier's BAe 146-200 fleet superseded the smaller aircraft before being joined, and ultimately replaced, by Titan's Boeing 737-300QCs. The aircraft operated on behalf of the Royal Mail with nightly flights from Stansted to Edinburgh and to Belfast. [18]

Government

Titan Airways carries out flights for Home Office and the Foreign Office of the Government of the United Kingdom.

On 30 July 2020, Titan Airways' Boeing 757 became the largest passenger aircraft to land and depart from Saint Helena Airport. This flight was a repatriation mission on behalf of the British Government. [19] A series of flights to Saint Helena and Ascension Island, once per month during the rest of 2020 and 2021, were performed with the same aircraft type. [20] On 11 January 2021, one of Titan's Boeing 757 aircraft delivered 100 coronavirus vaccines to Saint Helena. [21]

Military

Titan Airways' Boeing 767 operated to the Falkland Islands on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence for two years until September 2012, with twice-weekly flights departing from RAF Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, to RAF Mount Pleasant via RAF Ascension Island. [22] In 2014 Titan Airways' RJ100 aircraft had been based in Sharjah on contract to the UK MoD since 2011. [23] The RJ100 superseded Titan Airways' BAe 146 operations in the Persian Gulf region which dated back to 2009. [24]

Geodis Air Network

In 2021, following significant air-freight capacity shortages due to the COVID19 pandemic, Geodis Air Network leased an Airbus A330-300 converted freighter from JP Lease. [25] The aircraft is operated by Titan Airways [26] and is registered G-EODS. It is to fly between Amsterdam, London, Chicago and Hong Kong. [27]

Fleet

Current fleet

G-POWK - Airbus A320-200 - Titan Airways - 48102697638.jpg
Titan Airways Airbus A320-200
G-EODS Airbus A330-343P2F Geodis Air Network (Titan Airways) Stansted 2.11.21.jpg
Titan Airways Airbus A330-300P2F operated in GEODIS-livery

As of May 2023, the Titan Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft: [28]

Titan Airways Fleet
AircraftIn serviceOrdersPassengersNotes
Airbus A320-200 2—168
180
Airbus A321-200 3—218
220
Airbus A321LR 3—VIP1 operated for the Government of the United Kingdom [29]
Cargo Fleet
Airbus A321-200P2F [30] [31] [32] 3—Cargo
Airbus A330-300P2F [33] 1—Cargo
Total12—

Former fleet

Titan Airways G-ZAPN Bae 146-200 Birmingham(3) (24292946466).jpg
Former Titan Airways BAe 146-200
Titan Airways Boeing 767-300; G-POWD@FRA;16.07.2011 609ha (6190543476).jpg
Former Titan Airways Boeing 767-300ER
Titan Airways Historical Fleet [34]
AircraftIntroducedRetiredNotes
Airbus A318-100 20172021
ATR 42 19962005
Avro RJ100 20112014
BAe 146-200 19972017
BAe 146-300 20092012
Beechcraft 350 Super King Air Un­knownUn­known
Boeing 737-300 19992018300(1), 300F(1) and 300QC(3)
Boeing 737-400 20172023 [13]
Boeing 757-200 20032023 [13]
Boeing 767-300ER 20092020
Cessna 500 Citation I Un­knownUn­known
Cessna 525 CitationJet 20112015
Short 330 Un­knownUn­known

Accidents and incidents

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References

  1. ↑ "IATA - Airline and Airport Code Search". iata.org. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Titan Airways | ERA".
  3. ↑ Operating Licence
  4. 1 2 "Airliner World: The Global Airline Scene". Archived from the original on 25 August 2013.
  5. ↑ "Company search results". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Top honour for air charter operator". East Anglia Daily Times. 3 November 2010. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "FlightGlobal | Pioneering aviation news and insight".
  8. ↑ "Titan Airways' management buyout completed | ATWOnline". Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  9. ↑ Titan add first Airbus aircraft to fleet
  10. ↑ Titan to replace Boeing fleet with Airbus aircraft
  11. ↑ A320 fleet triples/fleet plans revealed
  12. ↑ Titan to add an A319 and an A321 during 2016 considering adding A318
  13. 1 2 3 aviation.direct (German) 18 May 2023
  14. ↑ "Titan Airways expands airline support role". Traveldailynews.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  15. ↑ "Titan Airways Increases Ski Flight Programme". Archived from the original on 8 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Titan to Fly to Banjul for The Gambia Experience | Routes".
  17. ↑ "Titan Airways : Corporate Events". www.titan-airways.com. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  18. ↑ "Titan Airways in line for Royal Mail airmail contract | Post & Parcel". Archived from the original on 30 July 2013.
  19. ↑ Leigh, Gabriel (31 July 2020). "Titan Airways 757 visits one of the world's most remote and difficult airports". Flightradar24 Blog. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  20. ↑ "Charter Flight Update". St Helena Government. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  21. ↑ "World's Most Useful Airport Lands 757 Vaccine Delivery - Simple Flying". 13 January 2021.
  22. ↑ "Falklands Air Bridge". Titan-airways.com. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  23. ↑ "Arabian Aerospace - Titan Airways bolsters fleet with BAe Avro RJ100 for Persian Gulf missions". Arabianaerospace.aero. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  24. ↑ "BAe 146-300 to Operate for UK MoD Under Titan Airways Contract". Asdnews.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  25. ↑ "Geodis leases aircraft to combat capacity crunch". Air Cargo News. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  26. ↑ "Geodis leases a freighter to ensure capacity as shippers eye more air services". The Loadstar. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  27. ↑ "First GEODIS Aircraft is Taking Off". GEODIS. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  28. ↑ "Titan Airways Fleet Details and History". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  29. ↑ "Brand New Titan Airbus A321neo Repainted For UK Government". Simple Flying. 22 March 2021.
  30. ↑ "Titan Airways Takes Delivery Of First A321P2F Freighter". Simple Flying. 8 January 2020.
  31. ↑ "Three A321 freighters join Titan Airways fleet - Titan Airways".
  32. ↑ "Three A321 freighters join Titan Airways fleet". Titan Airways (Press release). 6 January 2020.
  33. ↑ "UK's Titan Airways to add first A330 freighter". Ch-Aviation. 19 July 2021.
  34. ↑ "Titan Airways Fleet Details and History". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  35. ↑ "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 233878". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 27 January 2022.

Bibliography

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