Virgin to expand Long Haul
 

Just read an article in Australian Business Traveller that Virgin is going to expand its long haul operation. I thought the long haul operation was being reduced with the ending of MEL-LAX?:suspect:

Read the article again.

Where did it say long haul?

could be a short 737 hop. To Noumea for example.

It mentions the 330 - guessing it won't be going to NOU.

A330 - Singapore.

Two pilots all the way to Singas... ouch! :sad:

pffft jq go 2 pilot mel to bkk and return.

This is not the 'low cost' thread buddy.:}

aaand... back on topic, the long haul ops were only reduced insofar as BNE is a little closer to LAX than MEL is. Same number of sectors operated, just daily Bris instead of 4 Bris + 3 Mel per week.

Just JB sh!t stirring again, while JH is working out what to do about Tiger getting 737's!

I reckon, excess. He does like to keep 'em guessing.

SIN/HKG are very likely options, as we all know going to SIN will tie in to the SQ network like VA does with EY/DL-VX

HKG could give multiple options like taking up the tag flight with VS but it wouldn't suprise me if they linked up with CX after the lovers tiff from QF - similar to NZ.

What I am curious about is the touted potential of a third route as there is no obvious option out there unless for some reason they go to LHR (yeh right)

Chicago O'Hare?

How about PER - RGN? Thinking outside the box .. RGN being one of the places with significant international traffic growth since Burma's democratic reforms started a few years ago.

If they were going to go east of LAX wouldn't Delta's hub at Salt Lake City make more sense?

And if they do operate to HKG then their code share partner Virgin Atlantic could provide another route to Europe.

They need a way to Europe not via arab state. In one fell swoop qf lost all Jewish market when tbey linked up with ek

Maybe I'm a pessimist/realist but I don't know why these rumours circulate. In my view long haul and wide bodies is really the realm of the owners. Virgin will stick to domestic flying and be lucky if they can keep that between themselves and qf without the govt opening those routes to cheaper overseas competitors.

MASTEMA
 

What's wrong with 2 pilot operation Syd Sin? Normal operation on the BA B744.

Look forward to seeing them in Hong Kong, certainly will be using them on that service.

Same as Japan - I'll give it a shot if the price is right.

I believe SQ operate 2 pilot as well AUS-SIN

It's also standard on QF B747, B767, A330, etc - the only time that S/O's were carried was for subsequent operations to Europe which is no longer part of the network.

Mate it'll be Ejet ex CBR to Wellington or Auckland. On the embraer that could be classified long haul. Hence the PER base closure, freeing up ejets for Tasman flying. Why do you think embraer has been working on EDTO 120 for the ejets? :D

EK 2 x pilot SIN-BNE/MEL, KUL-MEL, BKK-SYD. Don't go to 3 pilot until flight time >10hrs based on seasonal average hence 3 x pilot (1 x CA and 2 FO) DXB-PER.

I think the two crew thingy at Virgin will be for a return trip of about 14 hours. That is what they are complaining about.

Don't they (73) already do DPS returns and SYD-PER-HKT?

F100 would be cheaper.

No.

Unless you mean DPS-PER-DPS and even then cabin crew pax one/operate one. Pilots fly both.

The longest duty possible at VAA is 13:15 for 2 sectors. With a 90 min sign on and turn around time I don't think a return to any of the speculated destinations would be doable.

So local starting time is not a consideration? 10 hours two crew red-eye is starting to push it a bit.

Guess it helps that the regulator owns the airline:rolleyes:

They operate in accordance with CAP371 (or whatever the new Euro name is for it) Trojan. Two tables, one for acclimatised the other for not acclimatised. Not nearly as clandestine as you seem to think.


the don

That sounds pretty tough, what is the flight time and turn around time?

1310 - 2320 sign on - sign off with an hour in Perth to turn around.

If you call it ardous then I think you should give the game away.

Overall the VAI 'lifestyle' is pretty good.

Ahh it's not as bad as I thought then. Thanks for the info. As for

what a strange statement to trot out. Very strange. I think I'll carry on if it's all the same to you ;)

Silkair brings quality to Cairns and underserved FNQ | Plane Talking

Expansion you say? Forgetabowtit!

Good for CNS to have a direct service to SIN again since JQ pulled out years ago. Broome maybe their next port in Australia for Silk air, great to see expansion happening. They should go for a TSV to SIN service another unserved market.

Strange that Silkair will run "tag" sectors between Darwin and Cairns. They won't be able to fill those seats with domestic travellers. But if VA was doing the run for them they could.

yes but they could sell DRW/CNS/AKL or DRW/CNS/another international destination from CNS. I think the rule is they must connect within 24 hours.