Virgin Australia doubles 737 MAX order

[MelbourneFlyer]

Virgin Australia is making a bullish bet on the Boeing 737 MAX by doubling its initial order to eight jets before the first one has even taken wing.

The airline today confirmed it would add four more MAX 8 aircraft to the fleet from 2023 – a move which swells Virgin’s total 737 family fleet to an all-time high of 92 jets, larger than the years when former CEO John Borghetti first put Qantas in the competitive cross-hairs.

https://www.executivetraveller.com/n...-737-max-order

[middleman]

Is the 92 including the 25 MAX 10 ?

[Colonel_Klink]

Originally Posted by middleman

Is the 92 including the 25 MAX 10 ?

It does not.

And no real guidance if those Max 10 aircraft will all be additional to VA’s current fleet, or whether it will be a mix of additions and replacements.

[1A_Please]

Originally Posted by Colonel_Klink

It does not.

And no real guidance if those Max 10 aircraft will all be additional to VA’s current fleet, or whether it will be a mix of additions and replacements.

You would think that by time the MAX10s finally arrive that VA would be retiring the remaining VO* series 738s. Some have already gone both pre and during administration. They are all approaching 20 years of age. It is also possible that the remaining VU* series will also be replaced or moved to VARA which would mean the entire mainlne fleet would have have BSI interiors.

[Mr Google Head]

Originally Posted by 1A_Please

It is also possible that the remaining VU* series will also be replaced or moved to VARA which would mean the entire mainlne fleet would have have BSI interiors.

under current proposals there won’t be ‘moving to vara’….all aeroplanes will fall under the same AOC and anyone in VA or VARA can fly them subject to currency. Cross crewing allowed even. They’re currently saying vara pilots won’t fly the max but the only thing actually stopping that happening is a sim check.

[1A_Please]

Originally Posted by Mr Google Head

under current proposals there won’t be ‘moving to vara’….all aeroplanes will fall under the same AOC and anyone in VA or VARA can fly them subject to currency. Cross crewing allowed even. They’re currently saying vara pilots won’t fly the max but the only thing actually stopping that happening is a sim check.

Yes, but they may end up with 2 different configurations in the same fleet. A VARA configuration will not have a J class.

[DanV2]

Originally Posted by 1A_Please

Yes, but they may end up with 2 different configurations in the same fleet. A VARA configuration will not have a J class.

The planned VARA -700 all-Y config shows up as 73G in GDS, whilst VBY/VBZ at mainline in 8J120Y shows up as 73W
(or possibly the other way around - open to correction here).

[Superman1]

Be great if they worked out a way to fly to that country next to us called New Zealand…..not that I think too many Kiwis would have a bar of VA after many probably got burnt by their withdrawal and abandonment of all things NZ…. Both with the NZ marriage breakup then the complete withdrawal.

Bit off VA are going to Bali, Tonga and Fiji but NZ seems too hard?

[1A_Please]

Originally Posted by Superman1

Be great if they worked out a way to fly to that country next to us called New Zealand…..not that I think too many Kiwis would have a bar of VA after many probably got burnt by their withdrawal and abandonment of all things NZ…. Both with the NZ marriage breakup then the complete withdrawal.

Bit off VA are going to Bali, Tonga and Fiji but NZ seems too hard?

So you want them to fly to NZ even though you don't think it would be successful; that's a strange strategy.

[Mr_App]

Originally Posted by Superman1

Bit off VA are going to Bali, Tonga and Fiji but NZ seems too hard?

No, the NZ government keep raising taxes. It’s a market that is destroying itself. Have you seen the amount of tax now involved in a return Kiwi airfare? Outrageous.

[Red69]

Originally Posted by Superman1

Be great if they worked out a way to fly to that country next to us called New Zealand…..not that I think too many Kiwis would have a bar of VA after many probably got burnt by their withdrawal and abandonment of all things NZ…. Both with the NZ marriage breakup then the complete withdrawal.

Bit off VA are going to Bali, Tonga and Fiji but NZ seems too hard?

I think you'll find them returning to NZ sometime next year if they deem it to be a profitable. There surely must be a market for Auckland and Christchurch flights considering they were once bases.

[mates rates]

The problem is the predatory scheduling that Qantas and Jet Star engage in make it unprofitable.Just have a look on flight radar and you will see them following VA around the sky about 5-10 minutes later😆.This is a direct hangover from the old days of the two airline policy,where AN and TN used to do it so one didn’t get a schedule advantage over the other.👍

[1A_Please]

Originally Posted by mates rates

The problem is the predatory scheduling that Qantas and Jet Star engage in make it unprofitable.Just have a look on flight radar and you will see them following VA around the sky about 5-10 minutes later😆.This is a direct hangover from the old days of the two airline policy,where AN and TN used to do it so one didn’t get a schedule advantage over the other.👍

The real problem is VA will only ever be a minnow on the Tasman compared with NZ and QF/JQ. This means they will be permanently price-takers having to follow the pricing determined by its larger competitors. This is never a way to business success particularly when your core business is a very profitable domestic franchise in an effective duopoly. It makes far more sense to direct your resources into an area where the rewards are easier and much more obvious.