When will Virgin Australia resume long-haul international flights? & More News Here

Virgin Australia is anticipated to proceed as a primarily home airline, aside from quick abroad journeys to the likes of New Zealand, Fiji and Bali, for a minimum of a number of years, in line with Australia’s client watchdog.

In an interim authorisation for shared pricing on Virgin Australia and United Airlines beneath their new partnership launching on May 24, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission notes that Virgin Australia  “does not currently operate any long-haul international services and is unlikely to do so in the short to medium term, as it does not have access to the widebody aircraft necessary to begin operating such services.”

United Airlines in fact fills that hole, with flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Los Angeles and San Francisco, together with Sydney to Houston, both working proper now or quickly to resume.

The Star Alliance member replaces Delta Air Lines as Virgin’s US accomplice – Delta has since introduced its personal alliance with Regional Express – whereas Virgin’s latest ally Qatar Airways additionally ready within the wings.

“The ACCC’s preliminary view is that this proposed codeshare arrangement with United Airlines is likely to result in a public benefit as it will help Virgin Australia re-establish its international network,” ACCC Commissioner Stephen Ridgeway remarked in granting his interim approval.

“Currently, it appears that Virgin Australia is unlikely to be able to operate its own long-haul international services in the short term.”

“These arrangements are not likely to lessen competition as there is no operational overlap on any routes between Virgin Australia and United Airlines and there are other airlines operating on the routes.”

Bidding farewell to the large jets

Bain Capital disposed of Virgin’s long-range Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 jets beneath a sweeping ‘rescue, rightsize and reboot’ plan which noticed the airline focus nearly solely – and, arguably, thus far very efficiently – on the home market. 

Inn a press release on the time, the airline mentioned “long-haul international operations are an important part of the Virgin Australia business” however mentioned these flights could be “suspended until (the) global travel market recovers.”

Virgin has repeatedly echoed that intent, saying it’s extra a matter of when relatively than if, with CEO Jayne Hrdlicka remarking in April 2021 “we are really looking forward to restarting (long-haul international flying) with a principal focus on Japan and the USA.”

“We remain in discussions with aircraft manufacturers on a fleet strategy to support the reintroduction of widebody services when long-haul international travel demand returns,” a Virgin Australia spokesman instructed Executive Traveller in September 2021.

However, the pact with United Airlines fuelled hypothesis that Virgin might keep out of the long-range recreation; Virgin’s alliance with ANA might replicate the partnership mannequin for flights to Japan. 

Former Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah, who helped steer the airline out of administration in 2020 earlier than Hrdlicka took the stick, had beforehand launched a “widebody fleet review” with the goal of changing the A330 and B777 with a single plane sort – both the Airbus A350 or the Boeing 787 – citing “significant cost savings available from next-generation aircraft.”

“We did a lot of work pre-administration on replacing both those aircraft types with a more efficient, newer version of a wide-body,” Scurrah elaborated at a media briefing in August 2020.

“We are having discussions with aircraft manufacturers but there’s also going to be leasing opportunities for us, and it might be that we go straight to the end solution or we might have a temporary lease solution” he allowed on the time. 

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