Omega Air (OME, Washington Dulles) has taken delivery of the first of two ex-Royal Netherlands Air Force (NAF, Eindhoven) KDC-10 tanker aircraft, the privately-owned air refuelling company said in a press release.
Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows N264DE (msn 46985) was ferried from Eindhoven to San Antonio Lackland on November 4, 2019, and is currently undergoing maintenance prior to service entry. The 41.1-year-old trijet was registered as T-246 while in service with the Dutch air force and was operated as a civilian freighter by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Martinair (Netherlands), and Qantas during its service life.
Omega Air has also agreed to buy another ex-RNLAF tanker version of the DC-10(F), currently registered as T-235 (msn 46956).
The two KDC-10 tankers will be Omega Air's first boom-equipped units.
"[The first KDC-10] is already certified to refuel receptacle aircraft such as the A-10, B-1B, B-52H, C-17, E-3, E-8C, F-15C/D/E, F-16A-D, F-16F, F-16I, F-35A, KC-10, KC-135R/T, RC-135 V, RC-135 S, RC-135 U, and MC-130. The addition of these KDC-10 tankers, along with their boom capability, will give Omega the capability to potentially refuel every operative type of aircraft in U.S. military inventory," the carrier said.
The RNLAF is currently replacing the KDC-10s with new-built A330-200(MRTT)s, otherwise designated as KC-30B. It expects delivery of a first unit shortly.
For its part, Omega Air already operates two B707-300 (KC-707) and one DC-10-40(T) tankers. All three are equipped with probe-and-drogue refuelling systems.
