TNT Airlines S.A. (Liege, Belgium), was awarded the contract to replace the capability provided by the three NATO AWACS Programme Trainer Cargo Aircraft (TCA). The NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Programme Management Agency (NAPMA) in Brunssum, the Netherlands, signed the five-year contract on 28 July to provide cargo and passenger service beginning 1 January 2012.
The contract provides NATO with routine and short-notice airlift capability to transport personnel and equipment. The guidelines for the new contract included the need for quieter aircraft as identified by the recommendations set forth in the Landrum and Brown Final Comprehensive study. The TNTfleet is comprised of modern aircraft equipped with newer engines that meet all the current EU standards for noise. Even though these aircraft are quieter, they will continue to operate within existing Geilenkirchen base operating hours. Additionally, the current TCA airplanes will be phased out during the time period before and just after the contract begins. The first TCA is schedule to be retired in August.
TNT Airlines S.A. is a well established company and operates a mixed fleet of more than thirty aircraft and 250 pilots.
In October 2009, the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Programme Management Organisation (NAPMO) Board of Directors approved the way ahead to conduct a competition to replace the current TCAairlift capability. Consequently, a Request for Proposal was jointly developed by the NAPMO organizations impacted and issued to numerous international firms. A source selection team comprised of personnel from NAPMA, the Programme Force Command (SHAPE HQ, Mons, Belgium), the Main Operating Base for the AWACS aircraft (Geilenkirchen, Germany), and the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA, Luxembourg) selected TNTS.A.’s proposal as the best value solution to the NATO requirement.
