Qatar Airways intends to buy a minority stake in Virgin Australia, and the deal may allow Virgin to return to long-haul flying with wet-leased aircraft.
Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka says that reducing the airline's commitment to the 737-10 will “ensure we have a steady pipeline of aircraft coming in.”
Virgin Australia has selected Embraer’s E190-E2 for fleet replacement and growth in its regional and charter subsidiary Virgin Australia Regional Airlines.
With Regional Express (Rex) filing for voluntary administration, Flight Friday looks at the current state of Australia's larger operators in terms of flights.
Virgin Australia’s decision to halt its Tokyo route underlines weakness in Japanese demand and Virgin’s lack of appetite for long-haul international services.
Virgin Australia plans to discontinue its longest international route between Cairns, Australia, and Tokyo due to slow outbound Japanese travel recovery.
Qatar Airways is reportedly negotiating to buy a significant stake in Virgin Australia, which would further solidify the links between the partner airlines.
While the grounded airline has been put under the control of liquidators, an attempt will be made to restructure and relaunch the South Pacific carrier.
While Virgin does not specify which aircraft types it is considering, they are believed to be Airbus A220-100s or Embraer E190-E2s, according to a VARA memo.
Virgin Australia has achieved a tentative contract deal with its cabin crew workers, averting the prospect of strike action over the busy holiday period.
Third-party training inconsistent with Boeing’s recommendations and Virgin Australia’s adopted procedures contributed to several hard landings, the ATSB said.
