Virgin Australia's plans for 2012
 

It will be an interesting year to see what expansion/consolidation is in store for Virgin. The use of Alliance with the F100's seems to indicate they are chasing the north Queensland mining contract work rather than increasing international services.

That presuposes that the two are mutually exclusive.

My understanding is that they are very keen to launch new international services into Asia. They are currently being held back as they have to wait to receive additional A330s. The first 2 A330s (new from Airbus) arriving this year will be for domestic use initially. These will have a new IFE and J class product. The existing A330s will also be updated soon after. There are a further 2 A330s coming (leased from EK I believe). It is likely that once these arrive the Asian expansion can begin.

In addition VA has announced that the 77Ws will all receive a new J & W product this year. At this stage JB has stated that he doesn't need any more 77Ws preferring the flexibility of the A330s. If VA ever decide to further expand their long-haul services using their own metal, this would probably change.

Given the proposed usage of A330s on Asian services it will be interesting to see if VA introduce a W class product to these birds also.

Only the first two aircraft were leased from Emirates - all subsequent A330s are brand new aircraft:

From AviationWA :

The new Virgin Australia A330-243 aircraft are:

•VH-XFC (cn 1293) - To be delivered April 2012
•VH-XFD (cn 1306) - To be delivered May 2012
•VH-XFE (cn 1319) - To be delivered October 2012
•VH-... (cn not yet known) - To be delivered December 2012.

The current leased ex-Emirates A330-243 aircraft are:

•VH-XFA "Cottesloe Beach" (cn 365) - ex A6-EAB
•VH-XFB "Cable Beach" (cn 372) - ex A6-EAC.

So, lets summarise. JB likes the A330, wants more of them, initially orders them in a Domestic config, but is planning to expand into Asia with them where they will be upgraded from the Dom config? Meanwhile has no interest in getting anymore 777 (at least VA have some!) in the near future as he believes the A330 is the vehicle for expansion and flexibility.......

Mmmm, I am sure I have heard this played out before??? Didn't work for QF in a past life did we JB? :rolleyes:

NO, the 330 are for domestic, soon to be SYD/BNE/MEL this is what JB has said. 330 into Asia is just some pilots wishfull thinking. Some more EY/DL/SQ/NZ type deals to come out of Asia this year, and more ATRs into regional ports along with some more domestic services and a few new domestic ones like SYD-DRW and the like.
And if one is looking far far ahead they are looking at the 787/350 to replace BOTH 777/330 long term. Not rocket science.
But the main game is as always to make a PROFIT, if not you can forget the rest!
Oh a new main owner just may come to play.

The 330 will do Asia... Watch this space!

SilverSleuth The 330 will do Asia... Watch this space!

I'm sure it will, but doubt that will be as the thread title asks, in 2012.

Where? The market is saturated. Jetstar can fly me long haul to Singapore for $400 return, EK couple hundred more. AirAsia now $149 SYD-KUL.

The new main owner may be "Etihad" but they want to divide up the international arm from the domestic arm to get around foreign ownership restrictions, so divide and conquer!

The only one who knows where the A330's will fly is JB and he has many options depending on future and current alliances.

It would be interesting to see if Virgin Australia start flying the 777 Sydney - San francisco. (San francisco is Virgin America's hub...)

Surely there's no money in syd - sfo? QF gave it away didn't they? Oh, wait.....:eek:

What is the current fleet size, with so many aircraft coming off lease and being returned along with new aircraft arriving I have lost track. I thought the plan was to increase the fleet by around 5 airframes this year?

With a D/E ratio of 177% they had better work on the profit bit first!

SN

CAO 'Salad Wrap'
 

A source of information tells me this morning that a senior CASA staffer has resigned this week and is headed to VA as GM Catering. It has to be a positive move consdiering CASA spend so much time in coffee shops and cafe's? The new GM can take the culinary expertise over to VA.

As a side point why have so many CASA people jumped ship of late? I am hearing that a stack have left or are in the process of trying to bail. Some of gone to mainline and regional airlines?
Actually I know more than I am letting on for now, but it would certainly seem Fort Fumble's 'just culture' is itself one giant turd!

He's also been employed at DJ in the past. His "expertise" lies in engineering, and apparently has some experience in safety management. So, WTF would you be employed as CATERING general manager? More changes to come, I suspect

Perhaps the wraps need a boroscope inspection?

On day 1 of VA the Catering was managed by a good friend of mine. His only previous experience of catering was feeding horses on cargo flights!

There's no doubt he's being brought into the company for other purposes. What that may be, we'll see!

I wonder if Virgin will reintroduce Bne and Mel to Phuket now that Air Australia has wound up. Is the Jetstar flight only from Syd?

Doubt it as they pulled the 777 out of those exact routes as soon as Borghetti came on board.

I doubt VA will reintroduce Phuket services but you have to wonder if it would be a beter use of the A332s on weekends. I doubt if they are full on many flights on Saturday or Sunday (I flew Mel-Syd on one on a Sunday afternoon and almost had Y class to myself). They could do a return Mel-Hkt on a Saturday afternoon and still be back in service for busy Sunday evening PER services.

The 77W never really worked as there is too much premium classes on the 77W for HKT and the 77W was better used elsewhere (USA services!!!).

Maybe VA could pick up their 330 cheap and also the ones that strategic had on order,
They had the right idea just bad timing thats all.
Good luck to all.

There is simply no profit on this route. Its low yield leisure traffic and better left to a LCC


They never owned it. VH-SSA is owned by Air Castle, as far as I was last advised. Basically Strategic owned nothing

Wrong way around buddy!

Slightly off topic, but can someone explain the relationship between the VOz 777 pilots and the Virgin Australia pilots - are they in the same or separate groups? Is there a plan to integrate the groups or keep them separate? Also, do VOz have any additional 777s on order or plans to expand the 777 network?

Sorry, I never quite understood the relationship.

Cheers

VA is moving toward a group seniority across VB, VA and PB. Thus, there will be an integrated pilots' list in the coming months.

There are no known plans for further B777s at present.

Where did Virgin NZ (formally PB) get its extra 7, 737s according to Wikipedia they had 10 at the start of the year and now have 17 in their fleet. Have they been transfered from Virgin Domestic ?

Pity, I think that is where they could really chase the Red Q down in a few places. Maybe too big and gutsy move compared to the domestic sector.:confused:

pistinaround

Wikki may be a bit out.

VAA 48 737 - 1 E170 - 18 E190 - 2 A332
VANZ 12 737 (Two seem to still have Aussie regos though....?)

That would be VUM and VUN

VOQ/VOX

Not sure why!

Still just the 10 aircraft:

ZK-PBA
ZK-PBB
ZK-PBF
ZK-PBD
ZK-PBJ
ZK-PBG
ZK-PBI
ZK-PBM
ZK-PBK
ZK-PBL

VH-Rego'd aircraft (REGARDLESS of livery/paint scheme) are operated by Aus crew.

I was of the understanding that 777 and Domestic seniority was in the process of being merged... but I wasn't sure if Tasman pilots were to be merged too??? Are they still contractors or are they company employees now???

PB (aka VA (NZ)) often operate a VH reg 737 when one of theirs is in the shed, usually VOX. They have 10 737s, no plans for that to change.

It makes sense that VANZ sometimes operate VH reg aircraft it is my understanding VANZ crews need a NZ licence as well as holding and Aus Licence ( to fly the VH aircraft). Have only heard this third hand though so I may be wrong.

Thanks all for replying to my previous post about the fleet numbers.

That is correct. All Virgin Australia (New Zealand) (VANZ) Employment and Crewing Pilots hold both Australian and NZ Licenses and both are kept current by the company so they can fly VH tails.

99% of pilots are now company employees of Virgin Australia New Zealand Employment and Crewing, a Virgin crewing company.

I have heard that yes, they are looking at a merged seniority list across the board however there is a bone of contention that Brisbane will not recognise prior time spent as a contractor. Some of the PB/VANZ guys have been there for 7-6 years. Probably much to the relief of Virgin Australia crew.
The only seniority date would be when Pacific Blue Employment and Crewing came into existence..

I've heard 100 out of 140 pilots are now ALPA members... could be something brewing...

Correct. Only other link is from Perth on VA with 737 equipment.

Gate - I was under the impression that VANZ pilots no longer needed both licences, ie only need NZ ATPL to fly the VH aircraft. They no longer get a CASA IR check do they?

Still have to do the CASA IR, bloody circling approaches :ugh: