Air Rwanda: Which airline will deport migrants on a one

Rishi Sunak has said it will be '10 to 12 weeks' before the first plane carrying asylum seekers takes off on a one-way trip to Rwanda.

The Prime Minister promised 'multiple flights a month through the summer and beyond' and said an airfield was on standby with charter planes booked 'for specific slots'. 

Although his Rwanda law finally passed through Parliament on Monday, finding an airline to operate the flights has been a major practical challenge - with the negative publicity around the scheme making it toxic for mainstream carriers.

Instead, ministers have been forced to turn to lesser known charter operators, but these have also faced intense lobbying from human rights groups seeking to scare them off.

Adding to the pressure on potential partners, three United Nations officials warned companies this week that they could be held responsible for any violations of international human rights rules. 

The first Rwanda deportation flight on the runway before it was grounded by judges in June 2022. It was operated by UK firm Privilege Style

Aviation expert Julian Bray said operating deportation flights carried many risks for airlines, comparing the scenario to 1997 film Con Air - where a US Ranger finds himself trapped in a prisoner transport plane when the passengers seize control. 

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He told MailOnline: 'You're taking a number of people who really don't want to go to the destination, so they will be under some form of security or restraint. That poses difficulties in itself. 

'There will also need to be spaces for security staff, and because it's a long flight as well so you will need onboard catering.

'Overall, its fraught with problems - many of which have probably not been thought through. 

'And of course there's also a commercial risk, because if a passenger airline is associated with the Rwanda flights there will be an awful lot of cancellations from people.'

Below, MailOnline runs through the airlines that have already been linked with the scheme - and reveals which one is currently considered the most likely candidate. 

 

Privilege Style - Hired for Rwanda deportation flights in June 2022 

Privilege Style is based in Mallorca and says its VIP customers include major Spanish companies and La Liga teams. 

It has also operated deportation flights for various EU countries and in December 2020 allegedly helped remove a group of people from the UK to Jamaica.

Privilege Style was due to deport people to Rwanda in June 2022 before the flight was grounded at the last minute after intervention by the European Court of Human Rights.

The first flight in June was halted following an 11th hour intervention from the European Court of Human Rights

The Mallorca based airline had faced calls and public demonstrations urging it to abandon the arrangement and later confirmed it would not put on any more flights.

In a statement the operator said: 'It's important for us to clarify that we will never operate the flight to Rwanda since the one scheduled in June 2022, the reason for this controversy, was suspended and never flew; that we won't operate flights to Rwanda in the future.'

Freedom from Torture, which led the campaign, said it had received a letter from the airline detailing the decision in which it also asked the charity to now cease 'actions against our brand'.

 

Rwanda's state airline RwandAir 

British ministers may have hoped to find an ally in Rwanda's state airline, which is wholly owned by the Rwandan government. 

The east African nation's flag carrier, RwandAir, was approached by British ministers last year, but it declined to take part because of potential damage to their 'brand'.

The same concerns about publicity make it all but certain that other commercial airlines are also off limits. 

'RwandAir said ''No' because of the potential damage to their brand,' a Home Office insider told the FT, pointing out the 'irony' of the flag carrier distancing itself from a scheme that Rwanda's government has said it is 'proud' to be a part of. 

Rwanda 's state airline RwandAir turned down an offer from the UK Government to operate removals flights due to concerns about its 'brand' 

 

Titan Airways - UK airline that operates PM's RAF Voyager

Based at Stansted Airport, Titan Airways is a charter airline that specialises in leasing planes to other airlines or carrying out charter services for tour operators, companies and governments. 

It's highest profile job is operating the Union flag liveried RAF Voyager that is used by the Prime Minister and members of the Royal Family for foreign trips. 

The company, which has around 12 aircraft, has carried out repatriation flights for the Foreign Office and, for two years, operated the South Atlantic Air Bridge to the Falkland Islands.

Titan Airways operates the Union flag liveried RAF Voyager that is used by the Prime Minister for foreign trips. It is seen here being refuelled mid-air in 2021

Titan Airways is also contracted by the Home Office to carry out deportations, including in March 2017 when one of these flights was stopped by a group of human rights activists known as the Stansted 15. 

The group cut through the Essex airport's perimeter fence in March 2017 and took smiling selfies as they locked themselves together around the Boeing 767. 

They were prosecuted under the Aviation and Maritime Security Act, but had their convictions overturned by Court of Appeal judges who agreed the legislation was intended for terrorists rather than protesters. 

Titan Airways took to X in 2022 to deny it planned to operate deportation flights to Rwanda 

Titan Airways is one of several charter airlines to have come under pressure to clarify its stance on operating flights to Rwanda by the charity Freedom from Torture. 

Taking to Twitter in June 2022, it wrote: 'Many people have expressed concern that Titan Airways may operate flights to Rwanda. Whilst we do not generally comment on our operations we can confirm we are not involved in the flights to Rwanda.'  

 

AirTanker - the leading candidate 

Founded in 2007, AirTanker is a British company with a fleet of 14 Airbus A330 MRTT multi-role tanker transport aircraft.

The firm mainly works for the UK Government, and in 2008 agreed a 27-year contract to operate its tankers on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. The planes are known as Voyagers while in RAF service. 

The contract is believed to be worth some £400million a year, and in 2018 became embroiled in controversy after it emerged some of the aircraft were being used by Thomas Cook and Jet2 because the RAF had no use for them. 

AirTanker was one of the carriers approached by Freedom from Torture after the first Rwanda flight was grounded in 2022. 

AirTanker has a 27-year contract to operate its Airbus A330 MRTTs, known as RAF Voyagers - on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. Pictured is a group of soldiers, including Prince Harry, returning from Afghanistan on an RAF Voyager in 2013 

It said in January 2023: 'We are aware of the many reports in circulation and can confirm that AirTanker has no intention of operating deportation flights to Rwanda.' 

However, reports this month suggested ministers were still hoping to use AirTanker aircraft by activating a clause in its contract that allows the Ministry of Defence to repurpose the aircraft for 'specialist tasks'.

Downing Street has drawn up plans to activate the clause for Rwanda deportation flights, The Times reported. The company has its own pilots and cabin crew, although RAF personnel could also be used. 

AirTanker has been the focus of an aggressive publicity campaign by human rights groups for several weeks, but as yet has not responded to any requests for comment.  

Freedom from Torture said its activists have repeatedly tried to contact the company about its potential involvement but has been met with silence. An open letter it wrote to the charity received more than 28,000 signatures. 

When asked if the government has an airline in place on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, deputy foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell said: 'We have robust operational arrangements in place.'

AirTanker has been the focus of a publicity campaign by human rights groups for several weeks. Pictured is a Tweet from Freedom from Torture

He said the prime minister would set out how the operation would work in greater detail at a press conference later that morning, but Sunak was still scarce on details when asked.

'I can confirm that we've put an airfield on standby, booked commercial charter planes for specific slots and we have 500 highly trained individuals ready to escort illegal migrants all the way to Rwanda, with 300 more trained in the coming weeks,' he told reporters.

When asked about the number of people who would be taken away and any airlines involved, he said he wouldn't go into detail due to a loud minority of people who will do absolutely anything and everything to disrupt this policy from succeeding'.

He said there will be a 'regular rhythm' of 'multiple flights a month through the summer and beyond'.

MailOnline contacted AirTanker for comment.