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Tags 28th Apr 2020 15:14


Originally Posted by RexBanner (Post 10765250)
Well without knowing the ins and outs of Virgin’s scheduling agreement I do know that they are limited to 700 hours a year, whereas we at BA are up to 900 and in very many cases on Long Haul we hit it. However these are (relatively speaking of course) marginal gains for Flight Ops and do not begin to explain the large disparity between the operating margin at BA and VS, there’s other factors at play there.

Its almost impossible to make a like for like comparison. Many trips that both airlines fly are crewed differently, at least half a dozen I can think of in Virgin are 2 pilots/1 local night/ 3 day trips, that BA do with either 3 pilots or 2 local nights downroute. Virgin pilots may fly less hours but with the limited network and different industrial agreements, pilots on the Airbus in particular will have done all 750 hours in the seat in the last few years.

kintyred 28th Apr 2020 18:02


Originally Posted by Capt Scribble (Post 10765256)
Kintyred. Legal limits on duty and flying hours are stipulated by EU regs, 900hrs a year and 100hrs a month (there are other limits). Local agreements may limit these to lower values. So if you are paid a salary for flying 900 hrs a year but only rostered for 500 hrs, the company is not getting full value from its contract with you. I flew with a holiday charter, where high monthly hours were achieved over the summer but winter work was pretty sparse so no more than 600 hrs was usual for us. With someone like BA/Virgin, who have more constant work across the year, 900/700 is achievable and therefore their pilots Achieve high productivity.

All very interesting. I hope the accountants never take a look in my logbook!

GKOC41 28th Apr 2020 18:42

I somehow doubt any 750 or 900 hour limit is going to be an issue and Aircrew will have bigger issues to worry about.

Burpbot 28th Apr 2020 20:45


Originally Posted by kintyred (Post 10766295)
All very interesting. I hope the accountants never take a look in my logbook!

Wow! Naive!

virgin mary 29th Apr 2020 12:09

Virgin Atlantic announces 90 cargo flights per week starting in May.

https://virginatlanticcargo.com/cont...rgoflights.pdf

A320baby 29th Apr 2020 12:24


Originally Posted by virgin mary (Post 10767148)
Virgin Atlantic announces 90 cargo flights per week starting in May.

https://virginatlanticcargo.com/cont...rgoflights.pdf


There's a lot of fight in the old girl yet! :)

xray one 29th Apr 2020 14:38

Hopefully the Government get the message as well.


Riskybis 29th Apr 2020 15:27


Originally Posted by xray one (Post 10767316)
Hopefully the Government get the message as well.

fingers crossed pal

squarecrow 30th Apr 2020 08:17

https://www.headforpoints.com/2020/0...nment-bailout/


A320baby 30th Apr 2020 08:37


Originally Posted by squarecrow (Post 10768036)

Virgin haven't been denied a package, they was told to resubmit and negotiations are on going.

5strypes 5th May 2020 07:07

Any update on VS situation? Are the 90 cargo flights a week enough to help tide them over for some time?

ORAC 5th May 2020 12:34

Virgin Atlantic to cease operations out of Gatwick and cut one third of staff, 3150 in total.

Gatwick slots to be retained pending the future. At least some of 747 fleet to be retired.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...vival-11983452

Professor Plum 5th May 2020 13:56

Hope all works out well for you guys. Got a few friends gatwick based working for Virgin

RoyHudd 5th May 2020 15:00

Easy to understand and yet hard to quite believe. The profession is being rent asunder, and perhaps for each pilot one can count 8 support staff within the airline plus many service folk outside. I wish to express my deep concern for all affected by this awful situation. Let us hope that the airline world bounces back as it did in the year following the 9/11 attacks. I somehow doubt it.

DooblerChina 5th May 2020 18:27

What’s the plan? what about MAN/GLA etc... LIFO? or fleet based?

All the best guys and girls.

BlackIsle 5th May 2020 19:09

Well the 747-400 fleet of 7 has seemingly been retired with immediate effect....

Bye-bye Boeing 747

Passengers hoping to fly on Virgin Atlantic’s 747s before the expected final boarding call in 2021 are, unfortunately, out of luck. In a statement sent to Simple Flying today, the airline said:
“As Virgin Atlantic aims to establish itself as the sustainability leader, it will fly only wide-body, twin-engine aircraft from London Heathrow and Manchester to the most popular destinations… From today, Virgin Atlantic will no longer use all of its seven 747-400s, with four A330-200 aircraft retiring in early 2022 as planned.”

esscee 6th May 2020 08:01

Read the statement more carefully. "No longer use ALL of its 7 747-400's". Which implies some will be used as and when. Likely they will not pay for any more big checks but utilise the fleet of 747's as cheaply as possible until the Big checks are due.

Suzeman 6th May 2020 08:50


Originally Posted by esscee (Post 10774030)
Read the statement more carefully. "No longer use ALL of its 7 747-400's". Which implies some will be used as and when. Likely they will not pay for any more big checks but utilise the fleet of 747's as cheaply as possible until the Big checks are due.

Read the statement more carefully. How does the above square with the statement below?


it will fly only wide-body, twin-engine aircraft from London Heathrow and Manchester to the most popular destinations…
So some conflict here. I wonder if "No longer use ALL of its 7 747-400's" is where ALL actually means the whole fleet?





A320baby 6th May 2020 09:00

All the 747s are going.

Suzeman 6th May 2020 09:08


Originally Posted by A320baby (Post 10774095)
All the 747s are going.

Yes that was my understanding too. Currently 5 at MAN now.


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