Airbuses for VA?

[Mary P.]

Is Virgin Australia thinking about replacing 737s by 320s?

Rumours rumours...

Any comments?

How would crews feel about that possibility?

[Stalins ugly Brother]

I'm sure as long as the pay goes into the account they wont care. :ok:

[BPA]

No, remember they are the launch customer for the B737 Max, which is due to arrive in 2017

[ga_trojan]

Why would they when the 737 is more versatile?

Unless you're talking about Ejet+737 with A318/19/20/21. That's a different story.

[Capn Bloggs]

Unless you're talking about Ejet+737 with A318/19/20/21. That's a different story.

Add the C Series and you'd have all bases covered...

[BPA]

From the Australian on the 5th July:

VIRGIN Australia has become the first Australian airline to order the environmentally-friendly Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Virgin announced today it had ordered 23 fuel-efficient Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, with four options, worth almost $2.2 billion at list prices. It expects them join the fleet between 2019 and 2021.

Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti said the Boeing 737 had formed a critical part of the Virgin Australia fleet over the past decade thanks to its reliability, comfort and fuel efficiency.

“The Boeing 737 MAX will build on this, enabling us to achieve strong on-time performance and maintain our low cost base,’’ he said. “One of the key advantages of the Boeing 737 MAX is that it should reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions by 13 per cent over today's most fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft.’’

There will be no 319,320 or 321's in the fleet.

Next order is for wide body's which may include the 350.

Time to close the thread.

[Engineer_aus]

I have heard that they are looking at an additional 4 A330's mainly to start flying into Asia.

[maggot]

I have heard that they are looking at an additional 4 A330's mainly to start flying into Asia.


but i thought the 777 could do everything??! :E

[ASY68]

JB did say 20 A330s by next year end.

[The Bunglerat]

JB said that, did he?

Where?

When?

I dial into the flight crew conference calls, & go to most of the roadshows (schedule permitting). First I've heard of this number. :hmm:

[Snakecharma]

Where did JB say that? I would think that VAA would be lucky to get 15 330's delivered by the end of the decade let alone the end of next year..

[The Bunglerat]

As usual, wishful thinking. I'd love to see twenty A330's in VA colours, but this is another one of those "I'll believe it when I see them parked at the gates" kinda things. :ugh:

Happy to be proven wrong, of course.

[Anthill]

I heard we are replacing the 402's and getting Kingairs :hmm:

[QFdude]

More likely for Tiger through the VA 60% purchase!!!

[The Bunglerat]

QF dude, I think you're right on the money. :ooh:

So seeing as Tiger will now become Virgin's "Jetstar," I guess the question is, will they continue to function long-term as Tiger, or eventually be absorbed into the Virgin operation (i.e., Virgin livery, uniforms, ticketing, etc), but continue on Tiger T & C's? I'm thinking there's a few more guys that are wondering if they should have voted 'yes' to the EBA.

Huge respect for Borghetti right now. Whether it ultimately bodes well for us as crew from a long-term integration &/or dilution of T & C's remains to be seen, but there's no denying the man is one shrewd & ballsy operator at the boardroom level. :cool:

[Capt Basil Brush]

Bunglerat said;

I'm thinking there's a few more guys that are wondering if they should have voted 'yes' to the EBA.

Why? Remember it was THE COMPANY that wanted the EBA rushed through all of a sudden with little time to properly digest it all. Lots of people were wondering why the big rush all of a sudden, after dragging their feet for so long. Now we know. There were obviously clauses in there that would have facilitated 'major change' more easily (if required, it may not be) had the EBA been voted up.

Current EBA or the proposed one, I don't think it will matter in the long run.

[neville_nobody]

With no scope clause you are screwed. Nothing stopping tiger picking up your flying aka jetstar and qantas or XR collecting all the ejet routes.

Company can then play everyone off each other.

[On eyre]

Airbuses for VA?
Yep - Tiger ones !! Truth in the rumour after all.

[Goat Whisperer]

One Airbus that I can think of: VH-FNP...

I wonder how long it will be worth operating a single example of a type with 170 seats when the parent company operates 60 aircraft in that range and a Perth base.

[MonsterC01]

Wouldn't be surprised if VH-FNP finds its way over to tiger after the sale is finalised.

My tip is Sky West ( Soon to be VAWA ) will operate all the ATR's and F100/Ejets on regional and FIFO charter. Tiger will fly all domestic and international leisure routes with the A320 and possibly future A321's. VAA/VANZ will operate domestic and international routes out to 8-9 hours with the 737/A330(probably A350). 777 operation will probably be wound up by 2015/2016. Anything over about 9-10 hrs will be on Etihad/Singapore/Delta metal.

VAA will stick with the 737 and Tiger will stick with the A320. No airline wants to be beholden to one aircraft manufacturer anymore.

Just my thoughts.

[Anthill]

Just like Ansett, again.

International.

Mainline.

Ansett WA.

East West.

I guess that the abandonment of the TAP and the engineered destruction of Ansett was just a waste of time. :bored:

[SRM]

I agree Monster sounds like a plan well thought out.

Anthill the big difference between VA and AN is that VA has somebody in charge that knows his business.

[moa999]

Tiger will fly all domestic and international leisure routes with the A320 and possibly future A321's. VAA/VANZ will operate domestic and international routes out to 8-9 hours with the 737/A330(probably A350). 777 operation will probably be wound up by 2015/2016. Anything over about 9-10 hrs will be on Etihad/Singapore/Delta metal.

I'm still interested on this international part.
I sort of agree with the LH 777 flying, albeit equally don't think SQ or NZ will want VA flying A330s into Asia.

At present VAH (ie the listed company) is foreign owned - 70%+ thru the four key shareholders.

VAIH (the international arm that was spun off) is under 50% and held as an unlisted company under a trust of some sort but managed by VAH. Not clear if VAIH will publish separate financials (I would think it should as it is separately owned), or indeed how it will get additional capital to expand (presumably can't come from VAH as it now has separate shareholders who dont own VAIH). But whilst shareholding remains as is, it is an Australian flag carrier, albeit one that will seemingly struggle to get expansion funding unless it makes big profits.

Then we have Tiger - it is 40% owned by Tiger Sing (a foreign company) and 60% by VAH which while Australian listed is majority foreign owned... So can Tiger even fly internationally under an Australian flag?