Defence

Of the total, roughly 60% are Army, 30% are RAF and 10% are Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Statistics show that the reliability of the air bridge is increasing. Between February and November 2007, 75% of TriStar flights to and from Afghanistan arrived within an hour of schedule; 85% arrived within three hours - an improvement on the same period in 2006.

But statistics can't tell us everything and the heightened operational tempo is placing additional pressure on the airbridge. Sometimes things go wrong, or the situation changes. This causes frustration for Service personnel and their families and cuts into precious leave and R&R.

Senior officers are acutely aware of the problem and in recent months have implemented changes to improve the experience of those using the airbridge, by shortening waiting times and handling delays professionally and transparently. There's a new coffee shop at RAF Brize Norton with extended opening hours, where embarking military personnel can buy newspapers and snacks. Terminals offer internet access and information displays on everything from permitted baggage allowances to routes to theatre and what to expect when you get there.

Customer satisfaction survey forms mean that shortfalls in service can be pinpointed and steps taken to put them right. And if there are delays, senior aircrew from that flight will, wherever possible, brief passengers on the situation face-to-face in the departure lounge.

So, is the airbridge turning into a military version of a commercial airline? Not according to RAF Brize Norton Station Commander Group Captain Malcolm Brecht who says the changes, whilst important, make no difference to the essential nature of his business:

"Military airbridge operations are not like running a commercial airline as we are connected by an umbilical cord to operational theatres," he explained. "So when something happens in Bastion, Basra, or Baghdad and they need us to respond, such as to an aero medical evacuation, we have to prioritise.

"We do not have predictable schedules and we fly wide-bodied aircraft into hostile environments. Naturally we are very aware of the risks and take every precaution to protect those that we carry - and these factors themselves cause changes and delays."

So what do the punters think? To assess this we carried out a random survey of opinion among passengers waiting for the 1005 departure from RAF Brize Norton to Kandahar on 11 November 2007. First up, the RAF Cottesmore-based Naval Strike Wing who arrived at the flight pan at Brize on a bus 15 minutes before departure after being processed through South Cerney.

Chief Petty Officer Ben Glenton, aged 28, from Doncaster, said:

"The biggest change I've seen is that the RAF fly straight into Kandahar now instead of going via Kabul so there's not so much messing around. I'd used Brize Norton but had never used South Cerney before. They were professional, everything went smoothly and when we got to this side all the baggage was there and nothing was ruined. The flight was good, the food was good, and the service was good."

Royal Marine Stuart Elks, aged 23, of 40 Commando based at Taunton, on the way to his first operational tour, was also positive:

"The set-up here seems the same as a civilian airport. It's been smooth so far, everything seems to be working quite well. There have been no problems or waiting around and no delays – yet. It's a nice atmosphere, quite relaxing."

But for the Army's Lance Corporal Zoë Edwards, aged 24, of 15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group based at Chicksands an admin error meant her first journey through Brize didn't start too smoothly:

"They didn't have me on the system at check-in and eventually worked out that I was down as a 'Mr Best,' so they had to sort that out, and it took 15 to 20 minutes to get through," she said.

Airbridge veteran Flight Sergeant John Moorhouse, from RAF Henlow, who has completed four tours of Iraq and two tours of Afghanistan, said he had noticed the changes implemented in recent months. He explained:

"Check-in is a lot quicker than it was and coming back last time seemed smoother. Having somewhere to buy a coffee and a paper outside normal opening hours is also very useful."

And there was a massive vote of confidence from Captain Terrill McCall of the US Air Force based in Washington DC also travelling on the same flight.

"We in the US military get phenomenal support from the RAF," he enthused. "Its ability to implant personnel directly into theatre instead of relying on civilian charters like we do to Iraq is a distinct advantage."

So mixed views from our sample. As it's always easier to complain than praise, it seems fair to leave the last words on the subject to Group Captain Brecht:

"When people criticise they should remember that roughly 8% of the RAF is based at Brize Norton so we have personnel constantly flying in and out of the same airports as others, going through the same processes and using exactly the same services. In any one year some 1,000 personnel from the station serve in Afghanistan or Iraq.

"When there's a delay passengers are not the only ones affected - the crew are subjected to it too – and some are subject to this lifestyle for their entire career. We live with the unpredictable climate in Afghanistan and Iraq every day and crews in particular can rarely tell their family or friends exactly when they will be home. That's not a complaint, I'm not looking for sympathy, it's just the way it is and we will continue to adapt to enable operations as best we can."

These facts and figures illustrate some of the achievements of the Airbridge operation:

• Since the start of airbridge support to Operation TELIC in April 2003, the RAF has transported a total of 353,675 personnel into Iraq - the equivalent of one city the size of Leicester, twice the population of Sunderland, three towns the size of Rotherham, or four full Wembley stadiums.
• Since the start of airbridge support to Operation HERRICK in October 2004, the RAF has transported a total of 115,357 personnel to Afghanistan – more than the entire population of Cambridge.
• Over the same period, the RAF has transported 64,092 tonnes of cargo to Iraq - the equivalent of 1,025 Challenger 2 tanks or 5,341 fully laden London double decker buses.
• It has also freighted 30,481 tonnes of cargo to Afghanistan – or 487 Challenger 2 tanks or 2,540 fully laden London double decker buses.
• A recent survey conducted among airbridge users found the standard of in-flight catering and the briefing of passengers with regard to flight information, including delays, to be the two main areas of complaint among users. But there are signs of improvement, with those rating catering as 'poor' falling from 11% to 3% between July and August 2007.