Virgin Australia has completed agreements to introduce nine additional Boeing 737-800NGs to their fleet from October 2021. The carrier expects to have the additional aircraft in service by mid-February 2022, in time for the peak summer 2022 season.
On Friday (August 27, 2021), Virgin Australia announced the completion of agreements to acquire nine additional Boeing 737-800NGs. The aircraft will start to enter the airline’s fleet in October 2021, with all nine expected to be in service by mid-February 2022, in time for the peak summer travel season. Virgin Australia has also started planning for the arrival of their first Boeing 737-10 MAX aircraft, which is expected to be delivered in mid-2023. The new MAX will deliver greater operational efficiencies and will include enhanced product and design features.
In Friday’s announcement, Virgin Australia’s CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, said,
“Airlines around the world have had to bend and stretch over the past 18 months as our fleets, teams and wider operations have responded to unprecedented border restrictions and demand volatility. But we at Virgin Australia are crystal clear that the underlying consumer desire for travel is strong. While our recent efforts have been directed toward adapting to and managing through a very difficult few months for communities and businesses throughout the country, we’ve also maintained a consistent focus on our strategy and medium term growth opportunities.
“These extra aircraft are an important part of our planning and ensure we’re ready to ramp up flying and meet the pent-up demand for domestic travel as soon as the opportunity presents itself. With this extra fleet capacity, we will be well positioned to reach our target share of 33 per cent of the domestic market, and service the destinations that our customers want with the frequency they expect.”
The nine additional Boeing 737-800NGs will expand Virgin Australia’s fleet to 77 aircraft and will support hundreds of jobs across the airline’s business.
Source: Virgin Australia
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