No repaint necessary bizflyer

The aircraft remain in Virgin livery as AAI now own them but are operating them for Virgin out of MAN.

The two Manchester aircraft are in full VS colours inside and out including the modern IFE. The cabin service is the usual VS service provided by Virgin employed cabin crew and the three flight deck crew are all employees of Virgin the aircraft just operate on the Air Atlanta Europe AOC.

Not really, no no no.

At the moment, bmi are using their 3 A330s on scheduled routes - Washington, Chicago and Toronto.

The Toronto route is seasonal, so will free up a single A330 for leisure routes during the Winter season.

So far as leisure routes to the Caribbean go, BWIA, Air Jamaica, MyTravel, Thomas Cook and First Choice are all players in that market from MAN at the moment. However, bmi - for the present, at least - are not.

As I understand it, the 742's will be going next year, as Virgin are going to provide full Upper Class service from MAN with some 744's .

That is the case as of May but where the 744's are coming from I don't yet know. Whether they will be provided by Air Atlanta remains to be seen.

VS bought 5 pairs of daily slots at LHR. Most of them are leased to Air France (or one of their codeshare partners) at the moment - I think they're being used to operate to Lyon if memeory serves. VS is using a couple themselves for extra services across the Pond.

The 742s at MAN will be phased out as soon as poss to be replaced by 744s - don't know the timescale, but quite a few of the crews are about to come back to the 340, so it must be happening quite soon.

As more 346s arrive, 744s will go to LGW.

At the moment VS is keeping options open on the 343s - some of the leases have already been extended, some have a year or 2 still to run, so for once there's a bit of flexibilty.

VS still have 5 742s on lease. 3 are in the desert, 2 operated on behalf of VS by Atlanta on their new UK AOC using some VS crews.

dont think sir dickie got enough dosh from the mob sell off to buy bmi but its only a matter of time before the two knights come to an agreement!:E :E :E

rgds K.I.L.

The Manchester-based B742s still belong to Virgin (as do the 3 ex-ANZ machines still in the desert), and are leased to Air Atlanta Europe to be operated on their AOC on Virgin's behalf (the B742 is no longer on Virgin's AOC). The aircraft are crewed by Virgin cabin staff and some Virgin, some AA flight deck. They are scheduled to be replaced by 744s over the next year or so, probably at the same time as Virgin plans to add further schedules from MAN. As I believe Virgin Holidays is the main customer for the BMI Caribbean schedules due to start shortly, I'd guess that these are the routes Virgin is looking to operate from MAN.

As for new destinations from London, Nassau and Havana are likely to be operated from Gatwick. Rio (if it happens), Dubai and Toronto probably would be also. I imagine that the VS5/6 Miami would return to Gatwick to free up slots for Chicago and any further Bostons - though there was talk last year of operating LGW-BOS. SYD is to ride the back of the daily VS200 schedule for now; there are no current plans to add a second HKG. Mumbai, like Delhi, may be operated on behalf of Air India using their slots.

There is no definite news about A343s being retired. At the moment, the company seems to wish to keep the 9 remaining aircraft.

Scroggs,

Any idea which fleet will be operating the new routes to Nassau & Havana?

There is a rumour that it may be A340s, but I don't know beyond that - except that, as the 744 fleet is fully employed and likely to lose one or two aircraft to MAN, it seems unlikely to be anything else!

Verbatim remark from girl waiting in the endless security and immigration queue at MIA earlier this year in order to connect with VS to LHR, "Hope it's the Jumbo - when I came out they'd put on a horrid, cramped, little aircraft". Impartial customer comment on A346 (that's what it was) and preference for B744. Any Virgins care to comment?

The seat pitch and width on the 346 (and 343) is the same as the 744. The 346, though significantly longer than the 744, is slightly narrower. It carries (with the new Upper Class Suite) 306 passengers vice the 744s 380 or so, depending on fit.

I don't really understand how the comment 'horrid, cramped little aircraft' can be justified, given the above points. And the 346 is the longest commercial passenger aircraft in the world!

Sounds to me that your girl in the security queue has a size issue of width versus length! :E

Unfortunately I never got to find that out! . .:D