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Wikipedia

Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia, the trading name of Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd, is an Australia-based airline. It is the largest airline by fleet size to use the Virgin brand. It commenced services on 31 August 2000 as Virgin Blue, with two aircraft on a single route.[3] It suddenly found itself as a major airline in Australia's domestic market after the collapse of Ansett Australia in September 2001. The airline has since grown to directly serve 32 cities in Australia, from hubs in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.[4]

Virgin Australia
IATA ICAO Callsign
VA[N 1] VOZ VELOCITY
Founded29 August 2000; 23 years ago (2000-08-29)
(as Virgin Blue)
Commenced operations4 May 2011; 12 years ago (2011-05-04)
(as Virgin Australia)
Hubs
Secondary hubs
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer programVelocity
SubsidiariesVirgin Australia Regional Airlines
Fleet size87
Destinations39
Parent companyVirgin Australia Holdings
HeadquartersSouth Bank, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Key people
Revenue A$5.4 billion (2018) [2]
Operating income A$109.6 million (2018) [2]
Total assets A$6.2 billion (2018) [2]
Total equity A$1.1 billion (2018) [2]
Websitevirginaustralia.com

The airline's headquarters is based in South Bank, Queensland. It was co-founded by British businessman Richard Branson (the founder of Virgin Group), and former CEO Brett Godfrey.

In 2011, the airline went through a massive transformation—the changing of its brand to Virgin Australia.[5] This included the introduction of a new aircraft livery, new uniforms, and new onboard menu options as well as a business class product which Virgin Blue did not have. New wide-body aircraft were acquired for use to compete with Qantas, and the roll-out of business class across all the Virgin Australia network.[3] In 2019, it was recognised as one of Australia's top 10 tax-dodgers earning $18 billion while paying zero tax.[6]

On 21 April 2020, Virgin Australia Holdings went into voluntary administration, due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and financial troubles in the years leading up to the pandemic.[7] On 26 June 2020, it was announced that Bain Capital had entered into a sale and implementation deed with administrator Deloitte to acquire Virgin Australia.[8] Creditors agreed to this proposal on 4 September 2020, with the reorganisation and change of ownership completed on 17 November 2020.

History edit

Early years as Virgin Blue (2000–2006) edit

Virgin Australia was launched as Virgin Blue, as a low-cost airline in August 2000, with two Boeing 737-400 aircraft, one of which was leased from then-sister airline Virgin Express.[9][10] Initially offering seven return flights a day between Brisbane and Sydney, this was expanded to cover all major Australian cities and many holiday destinations. The Virgin Blue name was the result of an open competition; it was a play on the predominantly red livery and the Australian slang tradition of calling a red-headed male 'Blue' or 'Bluey'.[10] This term is has been used by the older generation known as the boomer generation.[11]

 
Virgin Blue's 50th Boeing 737 Virgin-ia Blue was the only aircraft in the fleet to be actually painted blue. This aircraft is now in Virgin Australia livery.

The timing of Virgin Blue's entry into the Australian market was fortunate as it was able to fill the vacuum created by the failure of Ansett Australia in September 2001. Ansett's failure allowed Virgin to grow rapidly to become Australia's second domestic carrier, rather than staying just a cut-price alternative to the established players. It also gave Virgin access to terminal space without which growth would have been significantly limited. Delays in negotiating access to the former Ansett terminal at Sydney Airport however, forced Virgin to use its original terminal there—a collection of prefabricated buildings without aerobridges—longer than was needed. As the airline grew, it acquired new equipment, enabling it to phase-out its older 737-400s in favour of 737-700 and −800 series aircraft with modern glass cockpits, winglets and greater fuel efficiency.

Virgin Group's holding in Virgin Australia was later reduced, initially via a sale of a half interest to Australian logistics conglomerate Patrick Corporation, and later by a public float. In early 2005 Patrick launched a hostile takeover for Virgin Blue. Patrick had been unhappy for some time with the company's direction. By the closure of the offer, Patrick held 62% of the company, giving it control. Virgin Group retains a 25% share.

In May 2006 Toll Holdings acquired Patrick and became the majority owner of Virgin Blue. In July 2008 Toll sold its majority holding via a special dividend to hold 1.7% of the company. In June 2013 Air New Zealand owned 23% of the company.[12]

 
Boeing 737-800 in the old Virgin Blue red livery at Perth Airport in 2004

Virgin Blue previously used a familiar formula pioneered by airlines such as Southwest Airlines and Ryanair of eliminating costs such as included in-flight meals and printed tickets in favour of selling food on-board and using telephone and internet booking systems. It also cut costs in the past by limiting the number of airports serviced and by operating one type of aircraft, the Boeing 737. This strategy changed with the introduction of a second type into the fleet. The airline ordered 20 Embraer E-jets, in a mix of six E170s and 14 E190s.[13] These were ordered specifically so that the airline could re-enter the Sydney–Canberra market that it abandoned in 2004, and to fly to less populous areas.[13][14] The first E-170 arrived in Australia in September 2007 and by the end of the year the three on initial order had been delivered. These were placed on limited-frequency services before full-scale operations were launched on 4 February 2008 with services from Sydney to Canberra (branded as 'Capital Jet' services),[13] Mackay in Queensland, and the New South Wales regional centres of Port Macquarie and Albury, which were promoted with a one-cent fare.[15][16] The flights to Canberra and the regional centres signified an effort to compete more directly with Qantas and its subsidiary QantasLink operation, which flies to all three cities, and with independent Regional Express Airlines.[13]

Codesharing and network consolidation (2006–2010) edit

 
The first Virgin Australia Boeing 737 to wear the airline's new livery arrives at Sydney Airport for the launch of the new brand

At its inception in 2000, Virgin Blue did not have interline or marketing alliances with other airlines. However, after the collapse of its domestic competitor Ansett Australia, it began a codeshare agreement with United Airlines. This allowed United customers to fly from the United States to any of Virgin Blue's Australian destinations that United did not already serve. In 2006, in an effort to compete with Qantas, Virgin Blue started exploring these relationships, forming frequent flyer agreements with Emirates, Hawaiian Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. Virgin Blue also had an Interline Agreement with Regional Express Airlines for travellers to and from smaller regional centres in the eastern states of Australia, and operated its own two routes with Virgin Australia Regional Airlines in Western Australia. In November 2007, the airline announced an agreement with Garuda Indonesia, offering easy transfer from a domestic Virgin Blue flight to an international Garuda Indonesia service departing from Perth, Melbourne, Sydney or Darwin. Virgin Blue subsequently announced an agreement with Vietnam Airlines which allowed passengers to fly from Melbourne and Sydney and connect with Vietnam Airlines' destinations through its flight network.[17]

 
Close-up of the new Virgin Australia titles on Boeing 737 Bondi Beach, at Sydney Airport for the launch of the new brand
 
The former Virgin Blue logo, used until May 2011

In 2008, Business class was introduced throughout its entire fleet. New seating was installed in the first three rows of the cabin. These could be converted from three seats in economy configuration to two seats for premium economy. The premium product offered priority check-in, larger baggage allowance, lounge access, priority boarding, increased legroom and all-inclusive in flight entertainment, meals and beverages on board. The product was aimed at business and corporate customers. The airline began charging economy-class passengers for checked baggage in September 2008. The airline further announced its intention to operate Airbus A330 aircraft between Perth and the East Coast, starting in May 2011.[18]

In December 2010, Virgin Blue entered into alliances with Etihad Airways[19] and Air New Zealand[20] for code-sharing, reciprocal lounge and frequent flyer access and other co-operational projects.[21] Virgin Blue also entered into talks with Delta Air Lines about the possibility of joining SkyTeam, one of the top three alliances in the world, as V Australia and Delta sought approval for an agreement between the two airlines to co-operate on trans-Pacific services.[22] The agreement was rejected by the United States Department of Transportation under United States antitrust law.[23] Upon review the agreement was approved by the United States Department of Transportation on 10 June 2011.[24]

On 20 January 2011, Air New Zealand announced it would take a shareholding stake of between 10% and 14.99% in Virgin Blue. Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe described the investment "as part of Air New Zealand's strategy to develop scale and reach in this region" but said the airline had no intention of making a full takeover.[25]

Launch of V Australia (2008–2011) edit

In early 2006, Virgin Blue announced its intention to operate up to seven flights a week to the U.S. through either Los Angeles or San Francisco. At the time, only Qantas and United Airlines competed in the Australia-US transpacific market. The airline was given permission for ten flights a week to the U.S. by Australian regulators on 24 July 2007. The plans were approved by US regulators on 15 February 2008, due to the signing of an open skies agreement between Australia and the US.[26] Instead of using its existing brand, Virgin Blue launched a fully owned subsidiary with a separate Air Operator's Certificate, named V Australia as the result of a public naming competition, with a fleet of five specifically branded 777-300ERs.

The airline launched flights between Sydney and Los Angeles in 2009, followed by flights from Melbourne and Brisbane after obtaining permission to operate an unlimited number of flights between Australia and the U.S. by the Australian International Air Services Commission.[27] V Australia also applied to the United States Department of Transportation to operate services to San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas, and New York, but these plans never materialised. V Australia later launched flights to Nadi International Airport, Phuket and Johannesburg (all of which were discontinued prior to the brand being absorbed into Virgin Australia, although Virgin Australia continued to operate to Phuket until 2015, and to Nadi), and Abu Dhabi to consolidate Virgin Blue's codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways.

Reorganisation and rebranding (2011–2019) edit

 
Airbus A330 Cable Beach arrives at Sydney Airport in the new Virgin Australia livery, 4 May 2011. A Boeing 777-300ER of sister airline V Australia is in the background

On 7 May 2010, Brett Godfrey officially stepped down as Virgin Blue CEO after steering the company through its first 10 years.[28] John Borghetti, former Qantas executive general manager, took over as the new Chief Executive.[29] Following Borghetti's arrival as CEO, a number of key Qantas staff moved to Virgin Blue while key Virgin Blue staff departed the airline,[30] causing much speculation regarding a forthcoming rebrand or reorganisation of the airline.[31] In February 2011, the re-brand was confirmed when the airline announced that the word 'Blue' would be dropped from its name as part of a campaign to attract more business travellers away from rival Qantas. This came shortly after the unveiling of new crew uniforms and business-class seats. The airline stated that the re-brand would proceed in stages and would reportedly include a new fleet livery and the renaming of the other Virgin Blue Group airlines as well.[32]

On 4 May 2011, the former Virgin Blue revealed its new name, Virgin Australia, as well as its new livery. In addition to the new name, branding and livery, the airline also showed off its new flagship the Airbus A330 with new domestic business class. Boeing 737 business class seating was also revealed, to be introduced on all of Virgin's jet aircraft by the end of 2011.[33] Pacific Blue and V Australia were both folded into the new Virgin Australia brand, following an agreement with former Virgin Atlantic shareholder Singapore Airlines, which ever since the establishment of Virgin Blue in 2000 had previously prohibited use of the Virgin brand outside Australia.[33][34]

Early in 2011 it was announced that Virgin Blue had signed a ten-year deal with Perth-based regional airline Skywest Airlines, for Skywest to operate up to 18 ATR-72 turboprop aircraft leased by Virgin, in order to better compete in east coast regional markets served by QantasLink and Regional Express Airlines. The turboprops would supplement the existing Embraer E-190s and replace the E-170s, which would be phased out due to their being uneconomical on the routes operated by Virgin.[35]

In October 2011, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) approved a proposed code-share alliance between Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia, subject to other regulatory approvals in both countries.[36]

On 31 May 2016, Chinese aviation holding company HNA Group agreed to purchase 13% of Virgin Australia Holdings for A$159 million, subject to authorisation from the ACCC, a stake which HNA Group ultimately intended to increase to 19.99%.[37] The deal also created a codeshare partnership between Virgin Australia and Chinese airlines in which HNA Group held shares, on routes between Australia and China. Virgin intended to launch flights between Australian destinations and Beijing and Hong Kong by 2017 to consolidate the agreement.[38]

By October 2016, Air New Zealand sold its remaining 2.5 percent stake for A$65.7 million to investors including the Nanshan Group.[39] On 4 April 2018, Air New Zealand announced the end of the code- and revenue-sharing partnership with Virgin Australia, effective 28 October 2018.[40]

On 12 June 2018, Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti confirmed that he would leave the airline before the end of his contract in January 2020. Borghetti, who became CEO in May 2010, mentioned that his initial plans were to stay in the position for three to four years, however, the company's growth and success prompted him to stay on.[41] In February 2019 Paul Scurrah was announced as Borghetti's successor, with Scurrah commencing as CEO on 25 March 2019.[42]

On 2 July 2018, Virgin Australia launched a Sydney to Hong Kong service.[43] It ceased on 2 March 2020.[44]

COVID-19 impact and administration (2020) edit

 
Virgin Australia aircraft parked at Perth Airport. After it entered voluntary administration in 2020, Virgin planes were temporarily seized by Perth Airport.[45]

On 18 March 2020, Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah announced the grounding of the equivalent of 53 planes due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, effective 30 March.[46] This had the effect of temporarily returning Virgin Australia to being a domestic-only airline.

On 31 March 2020, Virgin Australia confirmed it had asked the Federal Government for a $1.4 billion loan to help it through the COVID-19 crisis. The airline said its bailout proposal was "subject to approval by the Virgin Australia Holdings board and the Australian Government" and "may or may not include conversion to equity in certain circumstances". Qantas responded by noting its revenue was three times higher than Virgin's, meaning that if Virgin was bailed-out they should be given a $4.2 billion loan as to not distort the market.[47]

On 4 April 2020, the Australian Government announced it would be subsidizing a bare-bones international network operated by Qantas and Virgin Australia for four weeks in April. Virgin's began operating later that month to Hong Kong twice weekly and once weekly to Los Angeles.[48] On the same day, it became known that Virgin Australia had decided to shut down its New Zealand operation permanently, resulting in 600 jobs in New Zealand to be lost.[49]

On 9 April 2020, it was announced that all services, except one Melbourne-Sydney return flight six times a week, would be suspended from 10 April.[50]

On 14 April 2020 Virgin Australia Holdings was granted a trading halt on the Australian Securities Exchange pending a company announcement or to start trading again on 16 April 2020.[51]

On 16 April 2020, the Federal Government announced it would spend $160 million subsidizing a minimum number of services operated by Virgin Australia and Qantas.[52] The domestic minimal network announced is effective 17 April until 8 June 2020 and involves 64 flights weekly. It serves Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, regional WA and regional Queensland.[53]

On 18 April 2020, the Queensland Government offered $200 million to help bail out Virgin Australia, however, the bailout had a number of conditions including Federal Government backing, debt restructuring, shareholders and bondholders contributing, headquarters remaining in Brisbane and ongoing regional flights.[54]

On 21 April 2020, Virgin Australia confirmed it had gone into voluntary administration, citing its inability to continue operations without a Federal Government bailout.[55] However, there are no changes being made to which flights are being operated.[56]

Virgin Australia Holdings, Ltd. and 39 affiliated debtors filed Chapter 15 bankruptcy in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The primary case is #20-11024.[57]

'Virgin Australia 2.0' restructuring and post-pandemic period (2020-present) edit

In June 2020, the airline was included in the purchase of Virgin Australia Holdings by Bain Capital.[58]

In August 2020, Bain Capital announced the plan for a new 'Virgin Australia 2.0', signalling that the move was more focussed towards streamlining and refocussing Virgin Australia, rather than a complete overhaul.[59] The announcement included the immediate retirement of the remaining ATR, Airbus A330 and 777 fleets, in addition to the retirement of the Tigerair brand.[60]

On 15 October 2020, as a result of numerous restructuring measures by Bain Capital, Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah announced that he would resign. Jayne Hrdlicka was announced as Scurrah's successor, with Hrdlicka commencing as CEO on 18 November 2020.[61]

On 15 December 2021, Virgin Australia and United Airlines announced a new partnership beginning in April 2022. This would be the end of the Delta Air Lines partnership after over a decade.[62]

In September 2023, it was reported that Virgin Australia had been affected by the false-certification scandal plaguing London-based AOG Technics, with two Boeing 737-800s temporarily put out of service after the airline became aware that the engines had been fitted with unauthorised parts. VH-VUT was fitted with an unauthorised low pressure turbine blade, whilst VH-YFR was fitted with an unauthorised seal for an inner high-pressure turbine nozzle.[63]

Corporate affairs edit

Head office edit

 
Virgin Village, the previous Virgin Australia head office in Bowen Hills, Brisbane

Until its move to South Bank in September 2020, Virgin Australia's head office was the Virgin Village in Bowen Hills, Brisbane.[64][65] The building, with about 13,220 square metres (142,300 sq ft) A-Grade office space, was triple net leased to Virgin Blue.[66]

As the airline started operations, it decided to place its head office in the Brisbane area. Brett Godfrey, the airline co-founder and Chief Executive for 10 years, said in 2006 that the decision "was a long considered one and has worked well".[67] The airline originally had its head office in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. The airline purchased a $61 million site in Bowen Hills for its new head office. The firm Sunland Group, which had acquired the Bowen Hills site for $8 million in 2005, had scheduled to complete the new head office in March, and the airline would be ready to move into the new head office by August of the following year.[68] The Virgin Village formally opened on 17 October 2008.[69] As of 2008, 1,000 employees worked at Virgin Village.[64]

Sister airlines edit

Former edit

Pacific Blue edit

In September 2003, Pacific Blue was set up to offer a low-cost service between New Zealand and Australia. Pacific Blue aimed to position itself as a low-cost competitor to Air New Zealand and Qantas on trans-Tasman routes. Pacific Blue also operated services on behalf of the Polynesian Blue joint-venture with the government of Samoa. Pacific Blue has since been rebranded under the Virgin Australia name and livery.

V Australia edit

In early 2006, Virgin Blue's parent company announced its intention to operate up to seven flights a week to the United States using either Los Angeles International Airport or San Francisco International Airport, saying that the route was needed to make the airline as profitable as possible. On 25 July 2007, it was announced that "V Australia" would be the name of the new carrier.[70]

Tigerair Australia edit

On 30 October 2012, Virgin Australia Holdings announced it had purchased a 60% stake in Tiger Airways Australia for $35 million.[71] Tiger was planned to be continued to operate as a low cost subsidiary for 20 years. In October 2014 Virgin took full control of Tigerair for one dollar.[72] After Bain Capital acquired Virgin Australia, in 2020, Tiger was suspended and then later officially discontinued by Bain Capital.[73]

Current edit

 
Virgin Australia Regional Airlines Airbus A320 (VH-YUD) at Christmas Island Airport (2016)
Virgin Australia Regional Airlines edit

On 11 April 2013, Virgin Australia Holdings completed its acquisition of regional airline Skywest Airlines. Skywest was then renamed Virgin Australia Regional Airlines.[74]

Marketing and sponsorship edit

 
Virgin Blue's "Rabbitohs" Boeing 737 'Bondi Babe' at Sydney Airport
 
Virgin Blue Boeing 737 with special scheme to advertise the Australian DVD release of the movie Avatar

Since its inception, Virgin Blue had sponsored many sporting teams in a bid to promote its brand. In February 2007, Virgin Blue signed a two-year sponsorship deal with NRL team the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Rabbitohs were the first rugby league team Virgin Australia sponsored.[75] One of the airline's Boeing 737-800s had slight changes to its livery to commemorate this sponsorship; the Australian flag held by the "Virgin Girl" was replaced by the Rabbitohs' flag. Virgin Australia is also the official sponsor of the National Basketball League (NBL), and the title sponsor of NBL team the Brisbane Bullets.

In November 2010, the Australian Football League (AFL) decided not to renew its marketing contract with Qantas, instead choosing Virgin Blue for a deal worth A$5–8 million.[76][77]

Virgin Blue gained extra revenue (and publicity) by painting two aircraft as "flying billboards". One promoted a brand of men's razor, the other a Queensland Government campaign to attract businesses to the state.[78] Both aircraft have since been withdrawn from the Virgin Blue fleet.

In 2007, Virgin Blue introduced an advertising campaign with the slogan "Get What You Want", named after the song by Queensland band Operator Please that featured in its TV advertisements. In 2009, Virgin Blue introduced an all new advertising campaign entitled "Now there's an idea". TV Commercials showing comparisons between flying in Australia in 1999 as opposed to 2009 were screened, to the tune a song by The Cat Empire. New billboard advertising was launched, showcasing Virgin Blue's variety of products and on-time performance records.

In 2011, with the airline's rebranding as Virgin Australia, the airline's slogan was changed to "Now you're flying".[79]

Virgin Australia became a sponsor of the newest AFL clubs, the Gold Coast Suns and Greater Western Sydney Giants, in 2011 and 2014 respectively. Virgin Australia also appear as a sponsor on the guernseys of the Carlton Football Club since June 2017 initially due to the loss of a sponsor of the club, but Carlton announced in August 2017 that the partnership will be extended until the end of the 2022 AFL season.[80] In 2016, the airline reached an agreement with V8 Supercars to rename the annual motorsport series to the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship starting 1 July.[81]

Awards edit

The airline has won a number of awards since its inception. It and certain of its employees won five 2009 service excellence awards of the Customer Service Institute of Australia.[82] Since being named as best low-cost airline in the Asia/Pacific region in the Skytrax 2002 Airline of the Year Survey, the airline has been voted best airline in a number of different categories and by a number of different organisations.[82]

As an employer, Virgin Australia was recognised as the most attractive employer in Australia in 2015 at the annual Randstad Award. It also placed in the top 3 for the previous five years, including a top spot in 2011.[83]

The airline's frequent flyer program, Velocity Rewards (now Velocity Frequent Flyer), won the 2009 Freddie Awards for best frequent flyer program, best award redemption, best affinity credit card, best member communications and best website. This was the fourth consecutive Freddie Awards that Velocity won.[84]

Velocity Frequent Flyer won the 2018 Freddie Awards for program of the year, best elite program, best customer service, and best redemption ability. This was the sixth consecutive year that Velocity won the best redemption ability award.[85]

Destinations edit

Codeshare agreements edit

As of December 2023, Virgin Australia has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:[86]

Interline agreements edit

As of December 2023, Virgin Australia has Interlining agreements with the following airlines.

Fleet edit

Current fleet edit

As of December 2023, the Virgin Australia Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:[91][92][93]

Virgin Australia fleet
Aircraft In
service
Orders Passengers Notes
J Y Total
Boeing 737-700 2 8 120 128
7 138 138 Ex-KLM aircraft to be Perth based operating mining charters.[94]
Boeing 737-800 19 8 162 170 7 Ex-SilkAir aircraft installed with trial cabins.[95][96]
54 168 176
2 174 182 All 737-800/-8 aircraft to be retrofitted with 31 rows.
Boeing 737 MAX 8 3 11 8 168 176 Deliveries from June 2023.[97][98][99]
Boeing 737 MAX 10 25 8 196 204 Deliveries from 2025[100][101]
Total 87 36

Initially, Virgin Australia leased its aircraft, but recent additions to the fleet have been purchased outright. Virgin Australia-owned Boeing 737s are indicated by the Boeing customer code FE in the model suffix. Aircraft formerly owned by V Australia are indicated by ZG in the model suffix. In order to conserve capital, Virgin Australia has started accepting second hand aircraft into their fleet, like the Boeing 737-700s from KLM to replace the ageing Fokker 100s.

On June 28, 2023, Virgin Australia ferried its first 737 MAX 8 to Australia named Monkey Mia. VH-8IA (msn 65045) departed Seattle Boeing Field (BFI) that afternoon for the flight to Brisbane (BNE) via Kona (KOA). After limited domestic operations, Virgin Australia expects to deploy the plane onto the Cairns (CNS) - Tokyo Haneda (HND) in late July, 2023.[98]

Former fleet edit

The airline has removed the following aircraft types from passenger service:[102]

Virgin Australia former fleet
Aircraft Total Delivered Exit Date Notes
Airbus A330-200 8 2011 2020 2 transferred to Azul Brazilian Airlines
ATR 72-500 6 2015 2020 Former Virgin Australia Regional Airlines fleet.
ATR 72-600 8
Boeing 737-300 1 2001 2004
Boeing 737-400 6 2000 2003
Boeing 777-300ER[103] 5 2011 2020 Former V Australia fleet.
Retired early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Embraer 170 6 2007 2012 Transferred to Compass Airlines
Embraer 190AR[104] 15 2008 2018

Fleet development edit

 
A former Virgin Australia ATR 72, Mission Beach
 
A former Boeing 777-300ER at Los Angeles International Airport

In November 2006, Virgin Blue announced plans to purchase 11 Embraer 190 and 3 Embraer 170 aircraft with options for six more E-jets, which later became orders for an additional three E170s and three E190s.[105] In February 2008 a further four E190s were ordered, leaving six options and ten purchase rights.[106] Virgin Blue received its first Embraer 170 in early September 2007 at a special ceremony at the Embraer plant in Sao Jose dos Campos.[107] A revised logo was introduced on the tail, bringing the Virgin Blue brand into line with the logos of other Virgin-branded companies.[13]

Like Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia gives the aircraft in its fleet names, previously incorporating female names and words connected with Australian cities and localities or other quintessentially Australian themes. Recent additions to the fleet have featured names of famous Australian beaches. Names on Virgin Australia aircraft include 'Brissie Lizzie' ("Brissie" being an Australian slang name for Brisbane, and "Lizzie" being slang for Elizabeth), 'Sassy Sydney' (Sydney is a female name as well as the name of one of Australia's largest cities), 'Prue Blue' (incorporating the name Prudence and also a pun on the Australian phrase "true blue", meaning "patriotic"), 'Tassie Tigress' (incorporating both the slang name for Tasmania and the common name for the thylacine) and 'Mackay-be Diva' (a pun on the city of Mackay, Queensland and Makybe Diva, a famous Australian racehorse). Beaches which have aircraft named after them include Cable Beach, Cottesloe Beach and Bondi Beach. Each aircraft in the Virgin Australia livery (some were painted in Pacific Blue livery for cross-promotional reasons) also features a "virgin girl" as nose art, complete with a wide-brimmed Aussie hat, trailing an Australian flag.

On 24 October 2007, Virgin Australia announced the introduction of premium economy on all domestic flights. As the e-jets already have four-abreast seating, the number of seats on these aircraft remained unchanged after the rollout of premium economy.[108]

Virgin Australia began long haul international operations as V Australia, commencing its first passenger flight operations on 27 February 2009.[109] V Australia was re-branded as Virgin Australia's Long Haul International Operations on 7 December 2011.[110]

On 10 January 2011, Virgin Blue entered a 10-year strategic alliance with Perth-based Skywest Airlines (now Virgin Australia Regional Airlines), to operate up to 18 new Virgin-branded turboprop aircraft from mid-2011.[111] On 23 February, it was announced that the aircraft would be ATR-72s, to enter service beginning in May 2011; they would allow Virgin Australia to both replace its fleet of Embraer 170s and introduce new regional routes. The turboprops would be operated by Skywest Airlines under a wet lease agreement.[112] The May in-service date was not met, and in late July the first announcement was made concerning routes to be served. It was reported that the ATR-72s would be initially employed on services between Brisbane and Gladstone, Queensland; from Brisbane and Sydney to Port Macquarie in New South Wales; and on additional services between Sydney and Canberra.[113]

On 25 January 2012, Virgin Australia announced additional services between Brisbane, Proserpine, Rockhampton and Cairns.[114] It wet leased two Fokker 100s from Alliance Airlines to operate these services.[115] On 26 February 2013, Virgin Australia announced it would start flights between Brisbane and Bundaberg on 4 May 2013.[116]

Orders edit

An agreement was signed with Boeing on 1 April 2010 for an order of fifty firm Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with flexibility to convert to either Boeing 737-700s or Boeing 737-900ERs; as well as 25 additional options and 30 future purchase rights. Deliveries were scheduled to be completed in 2017.[117] In July 2012, Virgin Australia announced an order for 23 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, with deliveries planned to be between 2019 and 2021.[118] Virgin converted its outstanding order for 17 Boeing 737-800 aircraft to the MAX model in 2015, bringing the total order for this type to 40 aircraft.[119] In August 2018, Virgin converted 10 of its 737 MAX 8 orders for the larger MAX 10 variant. Deliveries of the MAX 10 were to begin in 2022.[120] In April 2019, the airline deferred deliveries and converted 15 MAX 8 orders to the larger MAX 10 variant. Deliveries of the MAX 10 were scheduled to start in 2021, while MAX 8's are not expected until 2025, however due to worldwide groundings and suspensions of deliveries and production of the 737 MAX aircraft temporarily stopping following two fatal crashes, deliveries are likely to be delayed.[121][better source needed] In December 2020, Virgin cancelled orders for the MAX 8 and revised its order to just 25 MAX 10s with the planned delivery date deferred to mid-2023.[122]

However, in April 2022 CEO Jayne Hrdlicka announced the company had reversed the cancellation of the MAX 8 order with 'at least' four (later rising to 8) MAX 8 jets arriving by February 2023.[123] This announcement was made in conjunction with efforts to replace the older Fokker 100 craft in the Virgin Australian Regional Airlines fleet.[124] With the delays in certifying the 737 MAX 10 being experienced by Boeing it is not likely Virgin Australia would see its first MAX 10 before 2024 as stated by Boeing itself.[101] At the same time as receiving its third MAX 8 into service Virgin Australia announced an increase in the MAX 8 order from 8 to 14 total air frames.[99][125]

Cargo edit

 
One of two Pionair's British Aerospace 146 cargo freighters operating for Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia Cargo was launched in July 2015 after the airline's contract to carry freight on behalf of Toll expired and was not renewed. The airline signed a five-year carriage contract with TNT in 2016 and operations of dedicated freighter aircraft commenced on 4 July the same year.[126][127][128]

Virgin Australia Cargo fleet
Aircraft In
service
Orders Notes
Boeing 737-300F 1 Wet leased from Airwork
British Aerospace 146-200QC 1 Wet leased from Pionair Australia
British Aerospace 146-200QT 2
Total 4

Cabin edit

Domestic and short-haul international operations edit

Business class edit

Virgin Australia offers a business class service on most of its jet aircraft. The seat pitch is 95 cm (37 in) on its Boeing 737-800.[citation needed]

Economy X edit

Economy X offers a more premium experience at the airport and on board, within the affordability of Economy class. Economy X includes extra legroom, Preferred overhead locker space (Virgin Australia operated flights only), Priority boarding (where available) & Priority screening (where available).[citation needed]

Economy edit

Economy seats offer 80 cm (31 in) seat pitch. Selected Boeing 737 aircraft have wireless in-flight entertainment.[citation needed]

In-flight amenities edit

Food and beverages edit

Virgin Australia offered business class passengers a "sophisticated" gourmet menu created by Australian chef Luke Mangan. For lunch and dinner this included a full three-course meal prepared on board by the crew.[129]

The food menu is accompanied by a premium range of Australian wines, beers and spirits and non-alcoholic beverages, including barista-style coffee.[129]

In Economy Class, the airline offers a buy on board service and serves non-alcoholic beverages to all passengers on all domestic Virgin Australia flights. Complimentary beer and wine used to be offered on all services between capital cities departing between 5pm and 7pm.[129][130] On all international flights, complimentary hot meals and beverages were offered to all Economy passengers.[131]

In-flight entertainment edit

 
Virgin Australia's Moving Map showcasing a flight path from Sydney to Perth

In December 2006, Virgin Australia (as Virgin Blue) announced a partnership between Australian cable television providers Foxtel and Austar, to introduce a "Live2Air"[132] service on most flights by mid-2007. The Live2Air system was only available on selected Boeing 737 aircraft, and was phased out beginning in 2012.

Virgin Australia's Boeing 777-300ERs and Airbus A330-200 aircraft's in-flight entertainment RED was based on the Panasonic eX2 system. RED was fully touch-screen and handset controlled. There was no fee for use. RED featured an extensive video on demand library that includes new release film, TV series and TV programmes. Destination guides were available. Other functions available through RED included music on demand (approx 200+ CD library) and video games. Seat-to-seat chat was available as well as in flight map and flight information.

In December 2012, Virgin Australia introduced an in-flight Wi-Fi system to provide music, movies and TV shows to tablets, smartphones, laptops and similar devices. The system, which does not offer internet access, is estimated to be fitted on all the airline's planes within 2 years.[133]

In 2018, Virgin Australia began upgrading the in-flight Wi-Fi system in order to offer wireless internet access. The Boeing 777 fleet was expected to be rolled out by the end of 2018, while the Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 fleets are expected to complete rollout of internet access by the end of 2019.[134][135] The regional fleets of Airbus A320s, ATR 72-600s and Fokker 100s will not be rolled out with internet Wi-Fi access.[136]

After the Virgin Australia take-over by Bain Capital, they removed access to their in-flight Wi-Fi system. According to the ABC "Virgin Australia is reviewing its in-flight offerings and services including WiFi and entertainment" [137] under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Jayne Hrdlicka, leaving Qantas to be the only Australian carrier to offer in-flight WiFi.

Lounge service edit

 
Virgin Australia's lounge at Melbourne Airport in 2014

To capture a share of the business traveller market, Virgin decided to provide a members' lounge facility for travellers. Originally this was called The Blue Room and provided facilities to members and guests on a pay-as-you-go basis. Many of these facilities became available when Virgin relocated into the former Ansett terminals across the country, with the defunct Golden Wing club lounges left behind being used as Blue Room lounges, complete with furnishings.

In 2006, Virgin revamped the lounge facilities and re-launched the product as The Lounge, which offered all-inclusive facilities on a membership fee or casual fee basis. Upgraded facilities provided included buffet food and refreshments, newspapers, showers, computers, and WiFi internet access for travellers.

In May 2011, Virgin again renamed the lounge simply referring to it as Virgin Australia Lounge – designed to be a premium experience, with spaces designed for specific uses and 'moods'.[citation needed]

Access edit

Complimentary lounge access is available to Velocity Frequent Flyer Gold and Platinum members when flying with Virgin Australia, or when travelling in Business Class.

Membership is also available and can be purchased online by logging into a passenger's Velocity Frequent Flyer account. As of July 2021, membership costs AUD399 per year and there is no joining fee.[138] Lifetime memberships and single-use passes are also available for purchase.[139]

Velocity Frequent Flyer Program edit

Virgin Australia launched its frequent-flyer program Velocity Rewards in 2005, with partner National Australia Bank offering a companion credit card. By 2007, points collected from selected Westpac, American Express and Diners Club cards could be transferred to Velocity Rewards, and effective September 2008, ANZ reward visa card points as well. The program reached 4 million members by the end of 2014.[140]

Status levels were introduced to the program in late 2007 as part of continued efforts to attract business travellers. Alongside the entry-level "red" status, frequent travellers were given the opportunity to attain "silver" and "gold" status, each with its own set of benefits.

Initially, Velocity was different from most other frequent flyer programs, as points were earned relative to the cost of a flight, rather than distance. Velocity members originally earned 6 points per dollar spent on Virgin Australia flights. This was later altered due to the introduction of status levels; Red members now earned 5 points per dollar, Silver members remained at 6 points, and Gold members earned 7. Points accrual on V Australia, as well as the majority of Velocity's airline partners, have always based on distance.

Velocity was the first frequent flyer program in Australia to offer "any seat, any time" reward flight availability. The number of points required to redeem an award seat directly corresponds to the current fare of that seat, allowing any seat currently available to be redeemed. Qantas introduced a similar feature to their frequent flyer program in May 2008.

In August 2011, the program was relaunched as "Velocity Frequent Flyer" and a platinum status level was introduced, among other changes.

In July 2013, Velocity introduced the Global Wallet function, which was the first prepaid traveller card in Australia.[141] The key feature of this card is it allows you to load your money and store it in other supported currencies before travelling. You can access ATMs around the world as well as shop anywhere where Visa card is accepted. Supported currencies include Australian Dollar (AUD), Canadian Dollar (CAD), Euro (EUR), Pound Sterling (GBP), Hong Kong Dollar (HKD), Japanese Yen (JPY), New Zealand Dollar (NZD), Singapore Dollar (SGD), Thai Baht (THB), US Dollar (USD) and South African Rand (ZAR). You also earn 1 Velocity Point per $1 spent overseas and 1 point per $2 spent in Australia.

In 2015, Velocity Frequent Flyer won the 'Program of the Year" in the Middle East & Asia/Oceania District category at the Freddie Awards.[142]

Controversies edit

  • In 2003, a man with a disability and having incomplete quadriplegia was removed from a Virgin Blue flight because staff thought he was drunk or a terrorist. He subsequently settled a lawsuit against the airline.[143]
  • In October 2005, the airline lost a discrimination case over the age of flight attendants they employed.[144] Eight former flight attendants aged over 34 previously employed by the collapsed Ansett Australia had applied for employment with Virgin Blue but none had gained work.[144] They claimed they were discriminated against because of their age and won compensation in March 2006.[145] The airline's appeal against this decision failed and the company was ordered to pay costs.[146]
  • In May 2006, a controversy arose over Virgin Blue's policy with regard to passengers with disabilities. Former Chief Executive Brett Godfrey affirmed the policy of the company that passengers who were "unable to look after themselves on board should travel with carers".[147] After a hearing in the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Virgin Blue backed down from this policy, agreeing to limit it to passengers weighing over 130 kg.[148] However the chair of the ACT Disability Advisory Council, Craig Wallace, who uses a wheelchair, was refused passage on a Virgin Blue flight booked for 8 October 2006.[149] In a media release on 29 September, ACTDAC claimed that "Virgin Blue has also refused to refund $418 in fares from the flight for Mr Wallace or Council staff. Ironically, they have listed these fares as a 'credit' – a credit Mr Wallace or other people in his situation are prohibited from accessing by Virgin's own policy".[150]
  • In January 2007, Virgin Blue attracted controversy when its staff at Adelaide Airport ordered a passenger to remove a T-shirt bearing the slogan "World's Number One Terrorist" above an image of George W. Bush. The wearer, Allen Jasson from London, was informed that the garment was potentially offensive. Jasson had also experienced difficulty on earlier flights with Qantas. A spokeswoman for Virgin Blue defended the decision.[151]
  • In January 2011, the airline was fined $110,000 after breaking anti-spamming regulations.[152] Consumers complained they were unable to unsubscribe from the airline's mailing list.[153] The Australian Communications and Media Authority said the airline would "Engage an independent third party to thoroughly assess its email marketing processes and to implement any recommended changes."[154]
  • Virgin Australia's policy of not allowing male passengers to sit next to children travelling alone for fear of child molestation has been criticised by persons concerned as act of discrimination against men (Airline sex discrimination policy controversy).[155] Following a public outcry, the company announced it would review its policy.[156]
  • In mid-2014, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission took legal action against Virgin Australia in respect of drip pricing.[157][158]
  • In 2020, Perth airport staff parked heavy vehicles and heavy equipment in front of some Virgin Australia aircraft to prevent them from moving, owing to unpaid debts accumulated by the airline throughout 2020.[159][160]

Footnote edit

  1. ^ From their foundation until January 2013, Virgin Blue/Virgin Australia and Pacific Blue used the IATA code 'DJ'. From its foundation Virgin Australia International Airlines (formerly known as V Australia) operated under a different IATA code, 'VA'. Use of the two codes continued from the May 2011 company reorganisation and rebranding until January 2013, with the long-haul flights operated by the Boeing 777 fleet using the 'VA' code. In January 2013, use of the IATA code 'DJ' was discontinued and all flights now use the code 'VA'.[1]

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External links edit

  Media related to Virgin Australia at Wikimedia Commons

  • Official website

virgin, australia, virgin, blue, redirects, here, single, japanese, group, lead, virgin, blue, song, holding, company, that, owns, holdings, confused, with, airblue, jetblue, blue, blue1, bleu, blue, panorama, airlines, pacific, blue, airlines, virgin, atlanti. Virgin Blue redirects here For the single by Japanese hip hop group Lead see Virgin Blue song For the holding company that owns Virgin Australia see Virgin Australia Holdings Not to be confused with Airblue JetBlue Blue Air Blue1 Air Bleu Blue Panorama Airlines Pacific Blue Airlines or Virgin Atlantic Virgin Australia the trading name of Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd is an Australia based airline It is the largest airline by fleet size to use the Virgin brand It commenced services on 31 August 2000 as Virgin Blue with two aircraft on a single route 3 It suddenly found itself as a major airline in Australia s domestic market after the collapse of Ansett Australia in September 2001 The airline has since grown to directly serve 32 cities in Australia from hubs in Brisbane Melbourne and Sydney 4 Virgin AustraliaIATA ICAO CallsignVA N 1 VOZ VELOCITYFounded29 August 2000 23 years ago 2000 08 29 as Virgin Blue Commenced operations4 May 2011 12 years ago 2011 05 04 as Virgin Australia HubsBrisbane Airport Melbourne Airport Sydney AirportSecondary hubsAdelaide Airport Perth AirportFocus citiesCairns Airport Canberra Airport Denpasar Airport Gold Coast AirportFrequent flyer programVelocitySubsidiariesVirgin Australia Regional AirlinesFleet size87Destinations39Parent companyVirgin Australia HoldingsHeadquartersSouth Bank Brisbane Queensland AustraliaKey peopleJayne Hrdlicka CEO Richard Branson co founder Brett Godfrey co founder and former CEO RevenueA 5 4 billion 2018 2 Operating incomeA 109 6 million 2018 2 Total assetsA 6 2 billion 2018 2 Total equityA 1 1 billion 2018 2 Websitevirginaustralia wbr comThe airline s headquarters is based in South Bank Queensland It was co founded by British businessman Richard Branson the founder of Virgin Group and former CEO Brett Godfrey In 2011 the airline went through a massive transformation the changing of its brand to Virgin Australia 5 This included the introduction of a new aircraft livery new uniforms and new onboard menu options as well as a business class product which Virgin Blue did not have New wide body aircraft were acquired for use to compete with Qantas and the roll out of business class across all the Virgin Australia network 3 In 2019 it was recognised as one of Australia s top 10 tax dodgers earning 18 billion while paying zero tax 6 On 21 April 2020 Virgin Australia Holdings went into voluntary administration due to the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic and financial troubles in the years leading up to the pandemic 7 On 26 June 2020 it was announced that Bain Capital had entered into a sale and implementation deed with administrator Deloitte to acquire Virgin Australia 8 Creditors agreed to this proposal on 4 September 2020 with the reorganisation and change of ownership completed on 17 November 2020 Contents 1 History 1 1 Early years as Virgin Blue 2000 2006 1 2 Codesharing and network consolidation 2006 2010 1 3 Launch of V Australia 2008 2011 1 4 Reorganisation and rebranding 2011 2019 1 5 COVID 19 impact and administration 2020 1 6 Virgin Australia 2 0 restructuring and post pandemic period 2020 present 2 Corporate affairs 2 1 Head office 2 2 Sister airlines 2 2 1 Former 2 2 1 1 Pacific Blue 2 2 1 2 V Australia 2 2 1 3 Tigerair Australia 2 2 2 Current 2 2 2 1 Virgin Australia Regional Airlines 2 3 Marketing and sponsorship 2 4 Awards 3 Destinations 3 1 Codeshare agreements 3 2 Interline agreements 4 Fleet 4 1 Current fleet 4 2 Former fleet 4 3 Fleet development 4 4 Orders 4 5 Cargo 5 Cabin 5 1 Domestic and short haul international operations 5 1 1 Business class 5 1 2 Economy X 5 1 3 Economy 6 In flight amenities 6 1 Food and beverages 6 2 In flight entertainment 7 Lounge service 7 1 Access 8 Velocity Frequent Flyer Program 9 Controversies 10 Footnote 11 References 12 External linksHistory editEarly years as Virgin Blue 2000 2006 edit Virgin Australia was launched as Virgin Blue as a low cost airline in August 2000 with two Boeing 737 400 aircraft one of which was leased from then sister airline Virgin Express 9 10 Initially offering seven return flights a day between Brisbane and Sydney this was expanded to cover all major Australian cities and many holiday destinations The Virgin Blue name was the result of an open competition it was a play on the predominantly red livery and the Australian slang tradition of calling a red headed male Blue or Bluey 10 This term is has been used by the older generation known as the boomer generation 11 nbsp Virgin Blue s 50th Boeing 737 Virgin ia Blue was the only aircraft in the fleet to be actually painted blue This aircraft is now in Virgin Australia livery The timing of Virgin Blue s entry into the Australian market was fortunate as it was able to fill the vacuum created by the failure of Ansett Australia in September 2001 Ansett s failure allowed Virgin to grow rapidly to become Australia s second domestic carrier rather than staying just a cut price alternative to the established players It also gave Virgin access to terminal space without which growth would have been significantly limited Delays in negotiating access to the former Ansett terminal at Sydney Airport however forced Virgin to use its original terminal there a collection of prefabricated buildings without aerobridges longer than was needed As the airline grew it acquired new equipment enabling it to phase out its older 737 400s in favour of 737 700 and 800 series aircraft with modern glass cockpits winglets and greater fuel efficiency Virgin Group s holding in Virgin Australia was later reduced initially via a sale of a half interest to Australian logistics conglomerate Patrick Corporation and later by a public float In early 2005 Patrick launched a hostile takeover for Virgin Blue Patrick had been unhappy for some time with the company s direction By the closure of the offer Patrick held 62 of the company giving it control Virgin Group retains a 25 share In May 2006 Toll Holdings acquired Patrick and became the majority owner of Virgin Blue In July 2008 Toll sold its majority holding via a special dividend to hold 1 7 of the company In June 2013 Air New Zealand owned 23 of the company 12 nbsp Boeing 737 800 in the old Virgin Blue red livery at Perth Airport in 2004Virgin Blue previously used a familiar formula pioneered by airlines such as Southwest Airlines and Ryanair of eliminating costs such as included in flight meals and printed tickets in favour of selling food on board and using telephone and internet booking systems It also cut costs in the past by limiting the number of airports serviced and by operating one type of aircraft the Boeing 737 This strategy changed with the introduction of a second type into the fleet The airline ordered 20 Embraer E jets in a mix of six E170s and 14 E190s 13 These were ordered specifically so that the airline could re enter the Sydney Canberra market that it abandoned in 2004 and to fly to less populous areas 13 14 The first E 170 arrived in Australia in September 2007 and by the end of the year the three on initial order had been delivered These were placed on limited frequency services before full scale operations were launched on 4 February 2008 with services from Sydney to Canberra branded as Capital Jet services 13 Mackay in Queensland and the New South Wales regional centres of Port Macquarie and Albury which were promoted with a one cent fare 15 16 The flights to Canberra and the regional centres signified an effort to compete more directly with Qantas and its subsidiary QantasLink operation which flies to all three cities and with independent Regional Express Airlines 13 Codesharing and network consolidation 2006 2010 edit nbsp The first Virgin Australia Boeing 737 to wear the airline s new livery arrives at Sydney Airport for the launch of the new brandAt its inception in 2000 Virgin Blue did not have interline or marketing alliances with other airlines However after the collapse of its domestic competitor Ansett Australia it began a codeshare agreement with United Airlines This allowed United customers to fly from the United States to any of Virgin Blue s Australian destinations that United did not already serve In 2006 in an effort to compete with Qantas Virgin Blue started exploring these relationships forming frequent flyer agreements with Emirates Hawaiian Airlines and Malaysia Airlines Virgin Blue also had an Interline Agreement with Regional Express Airlines for travellers to and from smaller regional centres in the eastern states of Australia and operated its own two routes with Virgin Australia Regional Airlines in Western Australia In November 2007 the airline announced an agreement with Garuda Indonesia offering easy transfer from a domestic Virgin Blue flight to an international Garuda Indonesia service departing from Perth Melbourne Sydney or Darwin Virgin Blue subsequently announced an agreement with Vietnam Airlines which allowed passengers to fly from Melbourne and Sydney and connect with Vietnam Airlines destinations through its flight network 17 nbsp Close up of the new Virgin Australia titles on Boeing 737 Bondi Beach at Sydney Airport for the launch of the new brand nbsp The former Virgin Blue logo used until May 2011In 2008 Business class was introduced throughout its entire fleet New seating was installed in the first three rows of the cabin These could be converted from three seats in economy configuration to two seats for premium economy The premium product offered priority check in larger baggage allowance lounge access priority boarding increased legroom and all inclusive in flight entertainment meals and beverages on board The product was aimed at business and corporate customers The airline began charging economy class passengers for checked baggage in September 2008 The airline further announced its intention to operate Airbus A330 aircraft between Perth and the East Coast starting in May 2011 18 In December 2010 Virgin Blue entered into alliances with Etihad Airways 19 and Air New Zealand 20 for code sharing reciprocal lounge and frequent flyer access and other co operational projects 21 Virgin Blue also entered into talks with Delta Air Lines about the possibility of joining SkyTeam one of the top three alliances in the world as V Australia and Delta sought approval for an agreement between the two airlines to co operate on trans Pacific services 22 The agreement was rejected by the United States Department of Transportation under United States antitrust law 23 Upon review the agreement was approved by the United States Department of Transportation on 10 June 2011 24 On 20 January 2011 Air New Zealand announced it would take a shareholding stake of between 10 and 14 99 in Virgin Blue Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe described the investment as part of Air New Zealand s strategy to develop scale and reach in this region but said the airline had no intention of making a full takeover 25 Launch of V Australia 2008 2011 edit Main article V Australia In early 2006 Virgin Blue announced its intention to operate up to seven flights a week to the U S through either Los Angeles or San Francisco At the time only Qantas and United Airlines competed in the Australia US transpacific market The airline was given permission for ten flights a week to the U S by Australian regulators on 24 July 2007 The plans were approved by US regulators on 15 February 2008 due to the signing of an open skies agreement between Australia and the US 26 Instead of using its existing brand Virgin Blue launched a fully owned subsidiary with a separate Air Operator s Certificate named V Australia as the result of a public naming competition with a fleet of five specifically branded 777 300ERs The airline launched flights between Sydney and Los Angeles in 2009 followed by flights from Melbourne and Brisbane after obtaining permission to operate an unlimited number of flights between Australia and the U S by the Australian International Air Services Commission 27 V Australia also applied to the United States Department of Transportation to operate services to San Francisco Seattle Las Vegas and New York but these plans never materialised V Australia later launched flights to Nadi International Airport Phuket and Johannesburg all of which were discontinued prior to the brand being absorbed into Virgin Australia although Virgin Australia continued to operate to Phuket until 2015 and to Nadi and Abu Dhabi to consolidate Virgin Blue s codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways Reorganisation and rebranding 2011 2019 edit nbsp Airbus A330 Cable Beach arrives at Sydney Airport in the new Virgin Australia livery 4 May 2011 A Boeing 777 300ER of sister airline V Australia is in the backgroundOn 7 May 2010 Brett Godfrey officially stepped down as Virgin Blue CEO after steering the company through its first 10 years 28 John Borghetti former Qantas executive general manager took over as the new Chief Executive 29 Following Borghetti s arrival as CEO a number of key Qantas staff moved to Virgin Blue while key Virgin Blue staff departed the airline 30 causing much speculation regarding a forthcoming rebrand or reorganisation of the airline 31 In February 2011 the re brand was confirmed when the airline announced that the word Blue would be dropped from its name as part of a campaign to attract more business travellers away from rival Qantas This came shortly after the unveiling of new crew uniforms and business class seats The airline stated that the re brand would proceed in stages and would reportedly include a new fleet livery and the renaming of the other Virgin Blue Group airlines as well 32 On 4 May 2011 the former Virgin Blue revealed its new name Virgin Australia as well as its new livery In addition to the new name branding and livery the airline also showed off its new flagship the Airbus A330 with new domestic business class Boeing 737 business class seating was also revealed to be introduced on all of Virgin s jet aircraft by the end of 2011 33 Pacific Blue and V Australia were both folded into the new Virgin Australia brand following an agreement with former Virgin Atlantic shareholder Singapore Airlines which ever since the establishment of Virgin Blue in 2000 had previously prohibited use of the Virgin brand outside Australia 33 34 Early in 2011 it was announced that Virgin Blue had signed a ten year deal with Perth based regional airline Skywest Airlines for Skywest to operate up to 18 ATR 72 turboprop aircraft leased by Virgin in order to better compete in east coast regional markets served by QantasLink and Regional Express Airlines The turboprops would supplement the existing Embraer E 190s and replace the E 170s which would be phased out due to their being uneconomical on the routes operated by Virgin 35 In October 2011 the Australian Competition amp Consumer Commission ACCC approved a proposed code share alliance between Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia subject to other regulatory approvals in both countries 36 On 31 May 2016 Chinese aviation holding company HNA Group agreed to purchase 13 of Virgin Australia Holdings for A 159 million subject to authorisation from the ACCC a stake which HNA Group ultimately intended to increase to 19 99 37 The deal also created a codeshare partnership between Virgin Australia and Chinese airlines in which HNA Group held shares on routes between Australia and China Virgin intended to launch flights between Australian destinations and Beijing and Hong Kong by 2017 to consolidate the agreement 38 By October 2016 Air New Zealand sold its remaining 2 5 percent stake for A 65 7 million to investors including the Nanshan Group 39 On 4 April 2018 Air New Zealand announced the end of the code and revenue sharing partnership with Virgin Australia effective 28 October 2018 40 On 12 June 2018 Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti confirmed that he would leave the airline before the end of his contract in January 2020 Borghetti who became CEO in May 2010 mentioned that his initial plans were to stay in the position for three to four years however the company s growth and success prompted him to stay on 41 In February 2019 Paul Scurrah was announced as Borghetti s successor with Scurrah commencing as CEO on 25 March 2019 42 On 2 July 2018 Virgin Australia launched a Sydney to Hong Kong service 43 It ceased on 2 March 2020 44 COVID 19 impact and administration 2020 edit nbsp Virgin Australia aircraft parked at Perth Airport After it entered voluntary administration in 2020 Virgin planes were temporarily seized by Perth Airport 45 See also Impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on aviation On 18 March 2020 Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah announced the grounding of the equivalent of 53 planes due to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic effective 30 March 46 This had the effect of temporarily returning Virgin Australia to being a domestic only airline On 31 March 2020 Virgin Australia confirmed it had asked the Federal Government for a 1 4 billion loan to help it through the COVID 19 crisis The airline said its bailout proposal was subject to approval by the Virgin Australia Holdings board and the Australian Government and may or may not include conversion to equity in certain circumstances Qantas responded by noting its revenue was three times higher than Virgin s meaning that if Virgin was bailed out they should be given a 4 2 billion loan as to not distort the market 47 On 4 April 2020 the Australian Government announced it would be subsidizing a bare bones international network operated by Qantas and Virgin Australia for four weeks in April Virgin s began operating later that month to Hong Kong twice weekly and once weekly to Los Angeles 48 On the same day it became known that Virgin Australia had decided to shut down its New Zealand operation permanently resulting in 600 jobs in New Zealand to be lost 49 On 9 April 2020 it was announced that all services except one Melbourne Sydney return flight six times a week would be suspended from 10 April 50 On 14 April 2020 Virgin Australia Holdings was granted a trading halt on the Australian Securities Exchange pending a company announcement or to start trading again on 16 April 2020 51 On 16 April 2020 the Federal Government announced it would spend 160 million subsidizing a minimum number of services operated by Virgin Australia and Qantas 52 The domestic minimal network announced is effective 17 April until 8 June 2020 and involves 64 flights weekly It serves Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Adelaide Perth regional WA and regional Queensland 53 On 18 April 2020 the Queensland Government offered 200 million to help bail out Virgin Australia however the bailout had a number of conditions including Federal Government backing debt restructuring shareholders and bondholders contributing headquarters remaining in Brisbane and ongoing regional flights 54 On 21 April 2020 Virgin Australia confirmed it had gone into voluntary administration citing its inability to continue operations without a Federal Government bailout 55 However there are no changes being made to which flights are being operated 56 Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd and 39 affiliated debtors filed Chapter 15 bankruptcy in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The primary case is 20 11024 57 Virgin Australia 2 0 restructuring and post pandemic period 2020 present edit In June 2020 the airline was included in the purchase of Virgin Australia Holdings by Bain Capital 58 In August 2020 Bain Capital announced the plan for a new Virgin Australia 2 0 signalling that the move was more focussed towards streamlining and refocussing Virgin Australia rather than a complete overhaul 59 The announcement included the immediate retirement of the remaining ATR Airbus A330 and 777 fleets in addition to the retirement of the Tigerair brand 60 On 15 October 2020 as a result of numerous restructuring measures by Bain Capital Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah announced that he would resign Jayne Hrdlicka was announced as Scurrah s successor with Hrdlicka commencing as CEO on 18 November 2020 61 On 15 December 2021 Virgin Australia and United Airlines announced a new partnership beginning in April 2022 This would be the end of the Delta Air Lines partnership after over a decade 62 In September 2023 it was reported that Virgin Australia had been affected by the false certification scandal plaguing London based AOG Technics with two Boeing 737 800s temporarily put out of service after the airline became aware that the engines had been fitted with unauthorised parts VH VUT was fitted with an unauthorised low pressure turbine blade whilst VH YFR was fitted with an unauthorised seal for an inner high pressure turbine nozzle 63 Corporate affairs editHead office edit nbsp Virgin Village the previous Virgin Australia head office in Bowen Hills BrisbaneUntil its move to South Bank in September 2020 Virgin Australia s head office was the Virgin Village in Bowen Hills Brisbane 64 65 The building with about 13 220 square metres 142 300 sq ft A Grade office space was triple net leased to Virgin Blue 66 As the airline started operations it decided to place its head office in the Brisbane area Brett Godfrey the airline co founder and Chief Executive for 10 years said in 2006 that the decision was a long considered one and has worked well 67 The airline originally had its head office in Fortitude Valley Brisbane The airline purchased a 61 million site in Bowen Hills for its new head office The firm Sunland Group which had acquired the Bowen Hills site for 8 million in 2005 had scheduled to complete the new head office in March and the airline would be ready to move into the new head office by August of the following year 68 The Virgin Village formally opened on 17 October 2008 69 As of 2008 1 000 employees worked at Virgin Village 64 Sister airlines edit Former edit Pacific Blue edit Main article Pacific Blue Airlines In September 2003 Pacific Blue was set up to offer a low cost service between New Zealand and Australia Pacific Blue aimed to position itself as a low cost competitor to Air New Zealand and Qantas on trans Tasman routes Pacific Blue also operated services on behalf of the Polynesian Blue joint venture with the government of Samoa Pacific Blue has since been rebranded under the Virgin Australia name and livery V Australia edit Main article V Australia In early 2006 Virgin Blue s parent company announced its intention to operate up to seven flights a week to the United States using either Los Angeles International Airport or San Francisco International Airport saying that the route was needed to make the airline as profitable as possible On 25 July 2007 it was announced that V Australia would be the name of the new carrier 70 Tigerair Australia edit Main article Tigerair Australia On 30 October 2012 Virgin Australia Holdings announced it had purchased a 60 stake in Tiger Airways Australia for 35 million 71 Tiger was planned to be continued to operate as a low cost subsidiary for 20 years In October 2014 Virgin took full control of Tigerair for one dollar 72 After Bain Capital acquired Virgin Australia in 2020 Tiger was suspended and then later officially discontinued by Bain Capital 73 Current edit nbsp Virgin Australia Regional Airlines Airbus A320 VH YUD at Christmas Island Airport 2016 Virgin Australia Regional Airlines edit Main article Virgin Australia Regional Airlines On 11 April 2013 Virgin Australia Holdings completed its acquisition of regional airline Skywest Airlines Skywest was then renamed Virgin Australia Regional Airlines 74 Marketing and sponsorship edit nbsp Virgin Blue s Rabbitohs Boeing 737 Bondi Babe at Sydney Airport nbsp Virgin Blue Boeing 737 with special scheme to advertise the Australian DVD release of the movie AvatarSince its inception Virgin Blue had sponsored many sporting teams in a bid to promote its brand In February 2007 Virgin Blue signed a two year sponsorship deal with NRL team the South Sydney Rabbitohs The Rabbitohs were the first rugby league team Virgin Australia sponsored 75 One of the airline s Boeing 737 800s had slight changes to its livery to commemorate this sponsorship the Australian flag held by the Virgin Girl was replaced by the Rabbitohs flag Virgin Australia is also the official sponsor of the National Basketball League NBL and the title sponsor of NBL team the Brisbane Bullets In November 2010 the Australian Football League AFL decided not to renew its marketing contract with Qantas instead choosing Virgin Blue for a deal worth A 5 8 million 76 77 Virgin Blue gained extra revenue and publicity by painting two aircraft as flying billboards One promoted a brand of men s razor the other a Queensland Government campaign to attract businesses to the state 78 Both aircraft have since been withdrawn from the Virgin Blue fleet In 2007 Virgin Blue introduced an advertising campaign with the slogan Get What You Want named after the song by Queensland band Operator Please that featured in its TV advertisements In 2009 Virgin Blue introduced an all new advertising campaign entitled Now there s an idea TV Commercials showing comparisons between flying in Australia in 1999 as opposed to 2009 were screened to the tune a song by The Cat Empire New billboard advertising was launched showcasing Virgin Blue s variety of products and on time performance records In 2011 with the airline s rebranding as Virgin Australia the airline s slogan was changed to Now you re flying 79 Virgin Australia became a sponsor of the newest AFL clubs the Gold Coast Suns and Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2011 and 2014 respectively Virgin Australia also appear as a sponsor on the guernseys of the Carlton Football Club since June 2017 initially due to the loss of a sponsor of the club but Carlton announced in August 2017 that the partnership will be extended until the end of the 2022 AFL season 80 In 2016 the airline reached an agreement with V8 Supercars to rename the annual motorsport series to the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship starting 1 July 81 Awards edit The airline has won a number of awards since its inception It and certain of its employees won five 2009 service excellence awards of the Customer Service Institute of Australia 82 Since being named as best low cost airline in the Asia Pacific region in the Skytrax 2002 Airline of the Year Survey the airline has been voted best airline in a number of different categories and by a number of different organisations 82 As an employer Virgin Australia was recognised as the most attractive employer in Australia in 2015 at the annual Randstad Award It also placed in the top 3 for the previous five years including a top spot in 2011 83 The airline s frequent flyer program Velocity Rewards now Velocity Frequent Flyer won the 2009 Freddie Awards for best frequent flyer program best award redemption best affinity credit card best member communications and best website This was the fourth consecutive Freddie Awards that Velocity won 84 Velocity Frequent Flyer won the 2018 Freddie Awards for program of the year best elite program best customer service and best redemption ability This was the sixth consecutive year that Velocity won the best redemption ability award 85 Destinations editMain article List of Virgin Australia destinations Codeshare agreements edit As of December 2023 Virgin Australia has codeshare agreements with the following airlines 86 Air Canada Air Mauritius Air New Zealand citation needed All Nippon Airways 87 Etihad Airways Hawaiian Airlines Qatar Airways Singapore Airlines South African Airways United Airlines 88 Interline agreements edit As of December 2023 Virgin Australia has Interlining agreements with the following airlines Air China Air India Air Niugini Air Tahiti Nui Aircalin Asiana Airlines Austrian Airlines Beijing Capital Airlines Cathay Pacific China Airlines China Southern Airlines Delta Air Lines El Al EVA Air Fiji Airways FlyPelican Garuda Indonesia Hainan Airlines 89 Hong Kong Airlines 90 KLM Korean Air Link Airways Lufthansa Malaysia Airlines Pakistan International Airlines Philippine Airlines Royal Brunei Airlines Scoot Sichuan Airlines Solomon Airlines SriLankan Airlines Swiss International Air Lines Thai Airways International Tianjin Airlines Vietnam Airlines Virgin Atlantic XiamenAirFleet editCurrent fleet edit As of December 2023 update the Virgin Australia Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft 91 92 93 Virgin Australia fleet Aircraft In service Orders Passengers NotesJ Y TotalBoeing 737 700 2 8 120 1287 138 138 Ex KLM aircraft to be Perth based operating mining charters 94 Boeing 737 800 19 8 162 170 7 Ex SilkAir aircraft installed with trial cabins 95 96 54 168 1762 174 182 All 737 800 8 aircraft to be retrofitted with 31 rows Boeing 737 MAX 8 3 11 8 168 176 Deliveries from June 2023 97 98 99 Boeing 737 MAX 10 25 8 196 204 Deliveries from 2025 100 101 Total 87 36Initially Virgin Australia leased its aircraft but recent additions to the fleet have been purchased outright Virgin Australia owned Boeing 737s are indicated by the Boeing customer code FE in the model suffix Aircraft formerly owned by V Australia are indicated by ZG in the model suffix In order to conserve capital Virgin Australia has started accepting second hand aircraft into their fleet like the Boeing 737 700s from KLM to replace the ageing Fokker 100s On June 28 2023 Virgin Australia ferried its first 737 MAX 8 to Australia named Monkey Mia VH 8IA msn 65045 departed Seattle Boeing Field BFI that afternoon for the flight to Brisbane BNE via Kona KOA After limited domestic operations Virgin Australia expects to deploy the plane onto the Cairns CNS Tokyo Haneda HND in late July 2023 98 Former fleet edit The airline has removed the following aircraft types from passenger service 102 Virgin Australia former fleet Aircraft Total Delivered Exit Date NotesAirbus A330 200 8 2011 2020 2 transferred to Azul Brazilian AirlinesATR 72 500 6 2015 2020 Former Virgin Australia Regional Airlines fleet ATR 72 600 8Boeing 737 300 1 2001 2004Boeing 737 400 6 2000 2003Boeing 777 300ER 103 5 2011 2020 Former V Australia fleet Retired early due to the COVID 19 pandemic Embraer 170 6 2007 2012 Transferred to Compass AirlinesEmbraer 190AR 104 15 2008 2018Fleet development edit nbsp A former Virgin Australia ATR 72 Mission Beach nbsp A former Boeing 777 300ER at Los Angeles International AirportIn November 2006 Virgin Blue announced plans to purchase 11 Embraer 190 and 3 Embraer 170 aircraft with options for six more E jets which later became orders for an additional three E170s and three E190s 105 In February 2008 a further four E190s were ordered leaving six options and ten purchase rights 106 Virgin Blue received its first Embraer 170 in early September 2007 at a special ceremony at the Embraer plant in Sao Jose dos Campos 107 A revised logo was introduced on the tail bringing the Virgin Blue brand into line with the logos of other Virgin branded companies 13 Like Virgin Atlantic Virgin Australia gives the aircraft in its fleet names previously incorporating female names and words connected with Australian cities and localities or other quintessentially Australian themes Recent additions to the fleet have featured names of famous Australian beaches Names on Virgin Australia aircraft include Brissie Lizzie Brissie being an Australian slang name for Brisbane and Lizzie being slang for Elizabeth Sassy Sydney Sydney is a female name as well as the name of one of Australia s largest cities Prue Blue incorporating the name Prudence and also a pun on the Australian phrase true blue meaning patriotic Tassie Tigress incorporating both the slang name for Tasmania and the common name for the thylacine and Mackay be Diva a pun on the city of Mackay Queensland and Makybe Diva a famous Australian racehorse Beaches which have aircraft named after them include Cable Beach Cottesloe Beach and Bondi Beach Each aircraft in the Virgin Australia livery some were painted in Pacific Blue livery for cross promotional reasons also features a virgin girl as nose art complete with a wide brimmed Aussie hat trailing an Australian flag On 24 October 2007 Virgin Australia announced the introduction of premium economy on all domestic flights As the e jets already have four abreast seating the number of seats on these aircraft remained unchanged after the rollout of premium economy 108 Virgin Australia began long haul international operations as V Australia commencing its first passenger flight operations on 27 February 2009 109 V Australia was re branded as Virgin Australia s Long Haul International Operations on 7 December 2011 110 On 10 January 2011 Virgin Blue entered a 10 year strategic alliance with Perth based Skywest Airlines now Virgin Australia Regional Airlines to operate up to 18 new Virgin branded turboprop aircraft from mid 2011 111 On 23 February it was announced that the aircraft would be ATR 72s to enter service beginning in May 2011 they would allow Virgin Australia to both replace its fleet of Embraer 170s and introduce new regional routes The turboprops would be operated by Skywest Airlines under a wet lease agreement 112 The May in service date was not met and in late July the first announcement was made concerning routes to be served It was reported that the ATR 72s would be initially employed on services between Brisbane and Gladstone Queensland from Brisbane and Sydney to Port Macquarie in New South Wales and on additional services between Sydney and Canberra 113 On 25 January 2012 Virgin Australia announced additional services between Brisbane Proserpine Rockhampton and Cairns 114 It wet leased two Fokker 100s from Alliance Airlines to operate these services 115 On 26 February 2013 Virgin Australia announced it would start flights between Brisbane and Bundaberg on 4 May 2013 116 Orders edit An agreement was signed with Boeing on 1 April 2010 for an order of fifty firm Boeing 737 800 aircraft with flexibility to convert to either Boeing 737 700s or Boeing 737 900ERs as well as 25 additional options and 30 future purchase rights Deliveries were scheduled to be completed in 2017 117 In July 2012 Virgin Australia announced an order for 23 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with deliveries planned to be between 2019 and 2021 118 Virgin converted its outstanding order for 17 Boeing 737 800 aircraft to the MAX model in 2015 bringing the total order for this type to 40 aircraft 119 In August 2018 Virgin converted 10 of its 737 MAX 8 orders for the larger MAX 10 variant Deliveries of the MAX 10 were to begin in 2022 120 In April 2019 the airline deferred deliveries and converted 15 MAX 8 orders to the larger MAX 10 variant Deliveries of the MAX 10 were scheduled to start in 2021 while MAX 8 s are not expected until 2025 however due to worldwide groundings and suspensions of deliveries and production of the 737 MAX aircraft temporarily stopping following two fatal crashes deliveries are likely to be delayed 121 better source needed In December 2020 Virgin cancelled orders for the MAX 8 and revised its order to just 25 MAX 10s with the planned delivery date deferred to mid 2023 122 However in April 2022 CEO Jayne Hrdlicka announced the company had reversed the cancellation of the MAX 8 order with at least four later rising to 8 MAX 8 jets arriving by February 2023 123 This announcement was made in conjunction with efforts to replace the older Fokker 100 craft in the Virgin Australian Regional Airlines fleet 124 With the delays in certifying the 737 MAX 10 being experienced by Boeing it is not likely Virgin Australia would see its first MAX 10 before 2024 as stated by Boeing itself 101 At the same time as receiving its third MAX 8 into service Virgin Australia announced an increase in the MAX 8 order from 8 to 14 total air frames 99 125 Cargo edit nbsp One of two Pionair s British Aerospace 146 cargo freighters operating for Virgin AustraliaVirgin Australia Cargo was launched in July 2015 after the airline s contract to carry freight on behalf of Toll expired and was not renewed The airline signed a five year carriage contract with TNT in 2016 and operations of dedicated freighter aircraft commenced on 4 July the same year 126 127 128 Virgin Australia Cargo fleet Aircraft In service Orders NotesBoeing 737 300F 1 Wet leased from AirworkBritish Aerospace 146 200QC 1 Wet leased from Pionair AustraliaBritish Aerospace 146 200QT 2 Total 4 Cabin editDomestic and short haul international operations edit Business class edit Virgin Australia offers a business class service on most of its jet aircraft The seat pitch is 95 cm 37 in on its Boeing 737 800 citation needed Economy X edit Economy X offers a more premium experience at the airport and on board within the affordability of Economy class Economy X includes extra legroom Preferred overhead locker space Virgin Australia operated flights only Priority boarding where available amp Priority screening where available citation needed Economy edit Economy seats offer 80 cm 31 in seat pitch Selected Boeing 737 aircraft have wireless in flight entertainment citation needed In flight amenities editFood and beverages edit Virgin Australia offered business class passengers a sophisticated gourmet menu created by Australian chef Luke Mangan For lunch and dinner this included a full three course meal prepared on board by the crew 129 The food menu is accompanied by a premium range of Australian wines beers and spirits and non alcoholic beverages including barista style coffee 129 In Economy Class the airline offers a buy on board service and serves non alcoholic beverages to all passengers on all domestic Virgin Australia flights Complimentary beer and wine used to be offered on all services between capital cities departing between 5pm and 7pm 129 130 On all international flights complimentary hot meals and beverages were offered to all Economy passengers 131 In flight entertainment edit nbsp Virgin Australia s Moving Map showcasing a flight path from Sydney to PerthIn December 2006 Virgin Australia as Virgin Blue announced a partnership between Australian cable television providers Foxtel and Austar to introduce a Live2Air 132 service on most flights by mid 2007 The Live2Air system was only available on selected Boeing 737 aircraft and was phased out beginning in 2012 Virgin Australia s Boeing 777 300ERs and Airbus A330 200 aircraft s in flight entertainment RED was based on the Panasonic eX2 system RED was fully touch screen and handset controlled There was no fee for use RED featured an extensive video on demand library that includes new release film TV series and TV programmes Destination guides were available Other functions available through RED included music on demand approx 200 CD library and video games Seat to seat chat was available as well as in flight map and flight information In December 2012 Virgin Australia introduced an in flight Wi Fi system to provide music movies and TV shows to tablets smartphones laptops and similar devices The system which does not offer internet access is estimated to be fitted on all the airline s planes within 2 years 133 In 2018 Virgin Australia began upgrading the in flight Wi Fi system in order to offer wireless internet access The Boeing 777 fleet was expected to be rolled out by the end of 2018 while the Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 fleets are expected to complete rollout of internet access by the end of 2019 134 135 The regional fleets of Airbus A320s ATR 72 600s and Fokker 100s will not be rolled out with internet Wi Fi access 136 After the Virgin Australia take over by Bain Capital they removed access to their in flight Wi Fi system According to the ABC Virgin Australia is reviewing its in flight offerings and services including WiFi and entertainment 137 under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Jayne Hrdlicka leaving Qantas to be the only Australian carrier to offer in flight WiFi Lounge service edit nbsp Virgin Australia s lounge at Melbourne Airport in 2014To capture a share of the business traveller market Virgin decided to provide a members lounge facility for travellers Originally this was called The Blue Room and provided facilities to members and guests on a pay as you go basis Many of these facilities became available when Virgin relocated into the former Ansett terminals across the country with the defunct Golden Wing club lounges left behind being used as Blue Room lounges complete with furnishings In 2006 Virgin revamped the lounge facilities and re launched the product as The Lounge which offered all inclusive facilities on a membership fee or casual fee basis Upgraded facilities provided included buffet food and refreshments newspapers showers computers and WiFi internet access for travellers In May 2011 Virgin again renamed the lounge simply referring to it as Virgin Australia Lounge designed to be a premium experience with spaces designed for specific uses and moods citation needed Access edit Complimentary lounge access is available to Velocity Frequent Flyer Gold and Platinum members when flying with Virgin Australia or when travelling in Business Class Membership is also available and can be purchased online by logging into a passenger s Velocity Frequent Flyer account As of July 2021 membership costs AUD399 per year and there is no joining fee 138 Lifetime memberships and single use passes are also available for purchase 139 Velocity Frequent Flyer Program editMain article Velocity Frequent Flyer Virgin Australia launched its frequent flyer program Velocity Rewards in 2005 with partner National Australia Bank offering a companion credit card By 2007 points collected from selected Westpac American Express and Diners Club cards could be transferred to Velocity Rewards and effective September 2008 ANZ reward visa card points as well The program reached 4 million members by the end of 2014 140 Status levels were introduced to the program in late 2007 as part of continued efforts to attract business travellers Alongside the entry level red status frequent travellers were given the opportunity to attain silver and gold status each with its own set of benefits Initially Velocity was different from most other frequent flyer programs as points were earned relative to the cost of a flight rather than distance Velocity members originally earned 6 points per dollar spent on Virgin Australia flights This was later altered due to the introduction of status levels Red members now earned 5 points per dollar Silver members remained at 6 points and Gold members earned 7 Points accrual on V Australia as well as the majority of Velocity s airline partners have always based on distance Velocity was the first frequent flyer program in Australia to offer any seat any time reward flight availability The number of points required to redeem an award seat directly corresponds to the current fare of that seat allowing any seat currently available to be redeemed Qantas introduced a similar feature to their frequent flyer program in May 2008 In August 2011 the program was relaunched as Velocity Frequent Flyer and a platinum status level was introduced among other changes In July 2013 Velocity introduced the Global Wallet function which was the first prepaid traveller card in Australia 141 The key feature of this card is it allows you to load your money and store it in other supported currencies before travelling You can access ATMs around the world as well as shop anywhere where Visa card is accepted Supported currencies include Australian Dollar AUD Canadian Dollar CAD Euro EUR Pound Sterling GBP Hong Kong Dollar HKD Japanese Yen JPY New Zealand Dollar NZD Singapore Dollar SGD Thai Baht THB US Dollar USD and South African Rand ZAR You also earn 1 Velocity Point per 1 spent overseas and 1 point per 2 spent in Australia In 2015 Velocity Frequent Flyer won the Program of the Year in the Middle East amp Asia Oceania District category at the Freddie Awards 142 Controversies editIn 2003 a man with a disability and having incomplete quadriplegia was removed from a Virgin Blue flight because staff thought he was drunk or a terrorist He subsequently settled a lawsuit against the airline 143 In October 2005 the airline lost a discrimination case over the age of flight attendants they employed 144 Eight former flight attendants aged over 34 previously employed by the collapsed Ansett Australia had applied for employment with Virgin Blue but none had gained work 144 They claimed they were discriminated against because of their age and won compensation in March 2006 145 The airline s appeal against this decision failed and the company was ordered to pay costs 146 In May 2006 a controversy arose over Virgin Blue s policy with regard to passengers with disabilities Former Chief Executive Brett Godfrey affirmed the policy of the company that passengers who were unable to look after themselves on board should travel with carers 147 After a hearing in the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Virgin Blue backed down from this policy agreeing to limit it to passengers weighing over 130 kg 148 However the chair of the ACT Disability Advisory Council Craig Wallace who uses a wheelchair was refused passage on a Virgin Blue flight booked for 8 October 2006 149 In a media release on 29 September ACTDAC claimed that Virgin Blue has also refused to refund 418 in fares from the flight for Mr Wallace or Council staff Ironically they have listed these fares as a credit a credit Mr Wallace or other people in his situation are prohibited from accessing by Virgin s own policy 150 In January 2007 Virgin Blue attracted controversy when its staff at Adelaide Airport ordered a passenger to remove a T shirt bearing the slogan World s Number One Terrorist above an image of George W Bush The wearer Allen Jasson from London was informed that the garment was potentially offensive Jasson had also experienced difficulty on earlier flights with Qantas A spokeswoman for Virgin Blue defended the decision 151 In January 2011 the airline was fined 110 000 after breaking anti spamming regulations 152 Consumers complained they were unable to unsubscribe from the airline s mailing list 153 The Australian Communications and Media Authority said the airline would Engage an independent third party to thoroughly assess its email marketing processes and to implement any recommended changes 154 Virgin Australia s policy of not allowing male passengers to sit next to children travelling alone for fear of child molestation has been criticised by persons concerned as act of discrimination against men Airline sex discrimination policy controversy 155 Following a public outcry the company announced it would review its policy 156 In mid 2014 the Australian Competition amp Consumer Commission took legal action against Virgin Australia in respect of drip pricing 157 158 In 2020 Perth airport staff parked heavy vehicles and heavy equipment in front of some Virgin Australia aircraft to prevent them from moving owing to unpaid debts accumulated by the airline throughout 2020 159 160 Footnote edit From their foundation until January 2013 Virgin Blue Virgin Australia and Pacific Blue used the IATA code DJ From its foundation Virgin Australia International Airlines formerly known as V Australia operated under a different IATA code VA Use of the two codes continued from the May 2011 company reorganisation and rebranding until January 2013 with the long haul flights operated by the Boeing 777 fleet using the VA code In January 2013 use of the IATA code DJ was discontinued and all flights now use the code VA 1 References edit System Changes Virgin Australia Archived from the original on 27 September 2015 Retrieved 4 January 2013 a b c d FY18 Results Presentation PDF Virgin Australia Airlines Archived from the original PDF on 13 December 2019 Retrieved 11 March 2019 a b Virgin Australia History Virgin Australia Airlines Retrieved 9 April 2019 Virgin Australia Domestic Route Map Virgin Australia Airlines Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 Retrieved 10 March 2019 Virgin Blue to relaunch today as Virgin Australia Australian Business Traveller 4 May 2011 Australia s top 10 tax dodgers Virgin Australia 14 March 2019 Virgin Australia enters voluntary administration Virgin Australia Newsroom 21 April 2020 Archived from the original on 20 April 2020 Retrieved 21 April 2020 Bain wins Virgin bid Cyrus launches broadside Australian Financial Review 25 June 2020 Retrieved 26 June 2020 Moynihan Stephen 16 November 2003 Low cost blueprint lets Virgin soar The Age Melbourne Retrieved 29 November 2011 a b Virgin Blue To Fly The Aussie Skies Virgin Blue Media Release 5 February 2000 Archived 2 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 5 November 2012 Leah Goulis 4 November 2022 What s a bin chicken US Bluey fans are confused by Australian slang News com au Melbourne Air NZ revealed as buyer of 3pc additional Virgin stake The Australian 6 June 2013 a b c d e Sadler Paul A Red Storm Rising Australian Aviation magazine No 244 November 2007 p30 34 Phantom Media Pty Ltd Fyshwick ACT ISSN 0813 0876 Ho Ho Ho It s off to Albury we go Virgin Blue Press Release 2 November 2007 Retrieved 22 January 2008 Albury Launch with 1 Cent Fares Retrieved 5 February 2008 Port Macquarie Launch Retrieved 5 February 2008 A V Good Partnership Virgin Blue And Vietnam Airlines Sign Interline Agreement Virginaustralia com 7 April 2008 Retrieved 3 April 2013 Virgin Blue to add two further A330s in 2012 Australian Aviation Magazine Australianaviation com au 24 November 2010 Retrieved 3 April 2013 In Virgin Blue Etihad alliance it s old friends re united 26 January 2011 Air New Zealand Virgin Blue Alliance application 2010 Ministry of Transportation New Zealand 21 December 2010 Govt approves Air NZ Virgin Blue alliance The New Zealand Herald 21 December 2010 O Sullivan Matt 27 January 2010 Virgin Blue may join Delta s team The Age Melbourne Retrieved 6 May 2011 Mitchell Josh 9 September 2010 US rejects Virgin Blue Delta alliance The Australian Dow Jones Newswires Retrieved 6 May 2011 Delta Virgin Australia Welcome Final DOT Approval of Trans Pacific Alliance 10 June 2011 News delta com Retrieved 3 April 2013 Air NZ buys up stake in Virgin Blue ABC News Australian Broadcasting Corporation 20 January 2011 Retrieved 20 January 2011 Virgin Blue signs up for open skies to the US Archived from the original on 19 February 2008 Retrieved 15 February 2008 Bird Michael 1 August 2008 Determination 2008 IASC 110 PDF Australian Government International Air Services Commission Archived from the original PDF on 19 May 2009 Retrieved 10 February 2009 Bye Brett Australia owes you a big thank you for revolutionising the airline industry consumers tourism industry and business alike Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation 7 May 2010 Archived from the original on 16 June 2018 Retrieved 7 May 2010 Creedy Steve 8 May 2010 Virgin chief starts at 3 5m John Borghetti The Australian Retrieved 3 August 2010 VB poaches another key QF exec Australian Aviation Magazine Australianaviation com au 13 December 2010 Retrieved 3 April 2013 Virgin name to stay Branson Australian Aviation Magazine Australianaviation com au 13 September 2010 Retrieved 3 April 2013 Canning Simon 28 February 2011 Virgin Blue to drop blue to attract more business The Australian Retrieved 11 March 2011 a b Creedy Steve 6 May 2011 Rebranded Virgin prepares for a tough battle The Australian Retrieved 6 May 2011 O Sullivan Matt 6 May 2011 Virgin wins stalemate over brand name rights Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 6 May 2011 Virgin Blue forms alliance with Skywest Sydney Morning Herald Australian Associated Press 10 January 2011 Retrieved 20 January 2011 Australia Approves Singapore Airlines Virgin Australia Alliance Jakarta Globe 13 October 2011 Virgin Australia Holdings Announces Strategic Alliance with HNA and New Equity Investment Press release 31 May 2016 Flynn David 1 June 2016 Virgin Australia plans daily flights to Beijing Hong Kong Australian Business Traveller Air New Zealand sells off remaining Virgin Australia stake Australian Aviation 16 October 2016 Air NZ pulls plug on alliance with Virgin Australia Radio New Zealand 5 April 2018 Retrieved 6 April 2018 Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti to step down Australian Financial Review 12 June 2018 Retrieved 16 June 2018 Housego Luke 6 February 2019 Virgin Australia appoints Paul Scurrah new CEO Australian Financial Review Retrieved 5 March 2019 Debrief Australian Aviation May 2018 Page 15 The Picture Down Under Airliner World May 2020 page 31 Perth airport seizes Virgin aircraft over unpaid debts The New Daily 25 April 2020 Retrieved 6 June 2020 Virgin suspends international flights from April Australian Financial Review 18 March 2020 Virgin Australia seeks 1 4 billion coronavirus bailout Qantas says if that happens it wants 4 2 billion ABC News ABC 31 March 2020 Retrieved 18 April 2020 Qantas Virgin repatriation flights from London USA Hong Kong NZ Executive Traveller 4 April 2020 Retrieved 20 April 2020 Palmer Scott 4 April 2020 Union hugely disappointed Virgin Australia axing New Zealand bases Newshub Retrieved 4 April 2020 Virgin Australia axes all flights except one daily Sydney Melbourne Executive Traveller 9 April 2020 Virgin Australia goes into trading halt as it ponders financial options to stay afloat ABC News 14 April 2020 Virgin and Qantas are boosting their domestic flights here s what it means for you ABC News ABC 16 April 2020 Retrieved 18 April 2020 Minimal network schedule Virgin Australia 16 April 2020 Retrieved 18 April 2020 Virgin Australia offered 200m coronavirus lifeline by Queensland Government ABC News ABC 18 April 2020 Retrieved 18 April 2020 Virgin Australia forced into voluntary administration after coronavirus restrictions crippled cash flow ABC News 21 April 2020 Update on Virgin Australia Group Archived 18 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Virgin Australia 21 April 2020 Virgin Australia nation s second largest airline seeks bankruptcy protection amid coronavirus shutdown USA Today Retrieved 29 April 2020 Virgin Australia bidder Cyrus Capital Partners withdraws Bain signs purchase deal ABC News 26 June 2020 How Virgin Australia 2 0 plans to win back business travellers Executive Traveller 7 August 2020 Retrieved 11 August 2020 Bain led Virgin Australia to axe widebodies Tigerair brand ch aviation Retrieved 11 August 2020 Baird Lucas 15 October 2020 Virgin CEO Paul Scurrah resigns The Australian Financial Review Retrieved 15 October 2020 Virgin Australia and United announce a new partnership Virgin Australia Virgin Australia Holdings 15 December 2021 Retrieved 22 December 2021 McGuire Amelia 18 September 2023 Two Virgin aircraft pulled from flying due to unauthorised engine parts The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 18 September 2023 a b Virgin Blue seeks shelter in Brisbane The Australian AAP 17 October 2008 Retrieved 29 November 2011 Contact Us Archived 19 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine Virgin Australia Retrieved on 24 January 2012 Virgin Australia Head Office Our head office is located at 56 Edmondstone Road Bowen Hills Qld 4006 Virgin Blue National Headquarters Brisbane new 12 year lease Jones Lang La Salle Retrieved on 9 February 2010 Virgin Blue In State Of Excitement Over New Invest Queensland Campaign Virgin Blue Monday 6 March 2006 Retrieved on 8 February 2010 Archived 21 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Robins Brian 31 March 2008 Sydney chosen to be headquarters of V Australia The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 29 November 2011 The Year That Was Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine 2009 Virgin Blue Annual Report Retrieved on 8 February 2010 V Australia to take off The Sydney Morning Herald 25 July 2007 Retrieved 11 June 2011 Virgin does deals with Singapore Tiger Skywest Sydney Morning Herald 30 October 2012 Virgin pays 1 to take full control of Tigerair Sydney Morning Herald 14 October 2014 Tigerair folds under coronavirus pressure ABC News 10 September 2020 Archived from the original on 13 September 2020 Retrieved 11 September 2020 Media Releases 2013 Press release Virgin Australia 11 April 2013 Virgin Blue signs Sponsorship Deal with South Sydney Rabbitohs ASIATravelTips com 8 February 2007 Sheahan Mike 18 November 2010 AFL dumps Qantas as its official carrier set to sign deal with Virgin The Herald Sun Retrieved 18 November 2010 Kitney Damon 18 November 2010 Virgin Blue steals AFL official airline contract from Qantas The Australian Retrieved 18 November 2010 Airliners net photos of Virgin Blue special paint scheme aircraft Retrieved 22 January 2008 Now You re Flying Virgin Australia 4 May 2011 Blues soar with Virgin Australia for five more years carltonfc com au 25 August 2017 Retrieved 6 April 2019 Get ready to fly V8 Supercars 26 April 2016 Retrieved 26 April 2016 a b Virgin Blue Our Awards Archived 12 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 27 February 2010 Popularity soars Virgin Australia is the most attractive employer in Australia Randstad Australia Retrieved 23 September 2015 Velocity voted the world s favourite rewards program velocityrewards com au 16 February 2009 Archived from the original on 11 May 2009 Retrieved 16 February 2009 Partner Update Velocity Frequent Flyer Airline Partners Brisbane Virgin Australia Holdings Retrieved 26 January 2020 Airline Partners Virgin Australia Retrieved 11 February 2020 Virgin Australia and United Airlines launch codeshare Virgin com 15 December 2021 Retrieved 22 December 2021 Virgin Australia and Hainan Airlines launch codeshare Finder com au 4 June 2018 Retrieved 5 June 2018 Hong Kong Airlines and Virgin Australia to Launch Codeshare Partnership Hong Kong Airlines 6 June 2017 Archived from the original on 14 June 2018 Retrieved 5 June 2018 Aircraft register search Retrieved 4 August 2019 Virgin Australia Aircraft Seat Maps Virgin Australia Fleet Details and History Planespotters net Retrieved 22 January 2021 Virgin Australia Boeing B737 700 VH NBP ex PH BGW First Visit to Central Queensland at Mackay Airport 21 November 2022 Retrieved 21 November 2022 Virgin Australia Fleet Details and History www planespotters net Retrieved 30 May 2022 Virgin Australia unveils interior design prototype of the future Virgin Australia Newsroom 11 November 2021 Retrieved 30 May 2022 Virgin Australia orders four more MAX 8s talks IPO plans Ch Aviation 24 August 2022 a b Virgin Australia s first Boeing 737 MAX is on the way Executive Traveller www executivetraveller com 27 June 2023 Retrieved 29 June 2023 a b Thomas Geoffrey 24 November 2023 Virgin Australia Adds 737s Launches Upgrades Airline Ratings Retrieved 24 November 2023 Virgin Australia begins its countdown to the Boeing 737 MAX Executive Traveller www executivetraveller com 27 August 2021 Retrieved 4 May 2022 a b Hemmerdinger2022 11 02T18 12 00 00 00 Jon Boeing pushes back 737 Max 7 and Max 10 certifications Flight Global Retrieved 6 November 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Virgin Blue Fleet Details and History Archived from the original on 23 July 2012 Retrieved 20 February 2012 Virgin Australia axes Airbus A330s Boeing 777s Executive Traveller 5 August 2020 Virgin Australia s Embraer era comes to an end accepts last 737NG delivery australianaviation com au 3 February 2018 Retrieved 3 February 2018 Virgin Blue Orders Embraer E Jet Aircraft The Australian 2 November 2006 Embraer Receives New E Jets Order From Virgin Blue Virgin Blue Media Release Retrieved 17 October 2008 Virgin Blue takes delivery of its first Embraer E 170 airliner Flight Global 04 09 07 Virgin Blue gt News and Press Releases Archived from the original on 26 October 2007 Retrieved 26 October 2007 Australia s New International Airline Takes Off Press release V Australia 27 February 2009 Archived from the original on 2 March 2009 Retrieved 27 February 2009 VBA Financial Result for Full Year Ended 30 June 2011 Virginaustralia com Retrieved 3 April 2013 Virgin Blue and Skywest to team up on regional routes Australian Aviation Magazine Australianaviation com au 10 January 2011 Retrieved 3 April 2013 Virgin Blue s new ATR72s to arrive from May Flight International 23 February 2011 Archived from the original on 25 February 2011 Retrieved 23 February 2011 Steve Creedy Virgin ups east coast offerings The Australian Virgin Australia announces further capacity increases to meet demand 25 January 2012 Virgin on the unfaithful for frequent Queensland flyers 25 January 2012 Prain Emily 26 February 2013 Virgin to fly to and from Bundy Qantas welcomes competitor News Mail Bundaberg Retrieved 1 March 2013 Australia s Virgin Blue to buy 105 new Boeing planes BBC News 1 April 2010 Retrieved 1 April 2010 Virgin Australia orders 23 Boeing 737 Max aircraft Chicago Tribune Articles chicagotribune com Reuters 4 July 2012 Retrieved 3 April 2013 Virgin converts 737 800 orders to the MAX Australian Aviation 7 August 2015 Retrieved 13 August 2015 Boeing Welcomes Virgin Australia as Newest 737 MAX 10 Customer Boeing 29 August 2018 Retrieved 27 October 2018 Virgin Australia delays Boeing 737 MAX order adds more MAX 10s Australian Business Traveller 30 April 2019 Virgin commits to the 737 MAX but reduces its order Australian Aviation 9 December 2020 Virgin Australia circles back on MAX 8 eyes 2023 delivery Executive Traveller www executivetraveller com 29 April 2022 Retrieved 30 April 2022 Virgin Australia eyes Boeing 737 MAX 8 deliveries in 2023 www aerotime aero 29 April 2022 Retrieved 30 April 2022 Virgin Australia lifts Boeing 737 MAX fleet investment Australian Financial Review 24 November 2023 Retrieved 24 November 2023 Virgin Australia s freighter aircraft take off Australian Aviation 11 July 2016 Ex European BAe 146 Avro RJ Regional Jetliners Find New Homes and Applications BAE Systems Regional Aircraft Regional Aircraft 11 October 2016 Retrieved 16 November 2016 Virgin Australia nets 150 million TNT freight deal The Australian 2 April 2016 a b c Virgin Australia on Board Menu Virgin Australia Airlines Archived from the original on 8 May 2011 Retrieved 13 May 2011 Complimentary food on all flights across the Australian domestic network Press release Virgin Australia 15 April 2015 Retrieved 17 April 2015 International Short Haul Onboard Press release 15 April 2015 Archived from the original on 5 April 2015 Retrieved 17 April 2015 Virgin Blue Live 2 Air Virginblue com au Archived from the original on 22 July 2008 Retrieved 3 April 2013 Virgin Australia to Provide Inflight Movies Music via On Board WiFi 24 December 2012 Retrieved 10 January 2013 Virgin Australia launches Wi Fi on international flights news com au 5 June 2018 Retrieved 30 January 2020 Virgin Australia to offer free inflight Wi Fi on domestic flights Gogo Concourse Blog 10 August 2017 Retrieved 30 January 2020 In flight WiFi Virgin Australia www virginaustralia com Archived from the original on 25 February 2020 Retrieved 30 January 2020 Business class under review as new Virgin boss details airline revamp Australian Broadcasting Corporation 18 November 2020 The Ultimate Virgin Australia Lounge Guide Australian Frequent Flyer 14 July 2021 Retrieved 20 September 2021 Virgin Australia Lounge Membership Prices Virginaustralia com 31 December 2011 Retrieved 3 April 2013 Velocity Frequent Flyer reaches four million members Virgin Australia Retrieved 15 August 2015 Virgin Australia s new Global Wallet travel money card Australian Business Traveller Retrieved 15 August 2015 2015 Annual Freddie Awards 27th Results Freddie Awards Archived from the original on 15 August 2015 Retrieved 15 August 2015 Disabled man settles lawsuit with Virgin Blue Archived from the original on 12 January 2009 Retrieved 12 January 2009 a b Todd Mark 10 October 2005 Virgin Blue off song in bias against older women The Sydney Morning Herald Fairfax Media Retrieved 16 July 2011 Equal Time Newsletter of the Anti Discrimination Board of New South Wales PDF Equal Time Newsletter of the Anti Discrimination Board of New South Wales Number 66 Autumn 4 2006 Virgin loses too old to fly appeal The Sydney Morning Herald Fairfax Media Australian Associated Press 5 April 2007 Retrieved 16 July 2011 Virgin Blue defends wheelchair policy The Age Melbourne AAP 30 May 2006 Retrieved 29 November 2011 Pelly Michael 2 June 2006 Virgin backs down in disability row The Sydney Morning Herald Virgin faces court action over wheelchair access ABC News 23 May 2007 Retrieved 29 November 2011 ADDRESS Block PDF Archived from the original PDF on 5 March 2012 Retrieved 3 April 2013 Dunn Mark 14 December 2006 Banned for a George Bush T shirt News com au Archived from the original on 15 December 2006 Retrieved 22 January 2006 Evans Nick 12 January 2011 Business The Sunday Times Retrieved 29 November 2011 Virgin Blue fined over email marketing News Business Spectator Virgin Blue fined 110k over emails The West Australian Au news yahoo com 12 January 2011 Archived from the original on 25 September 2012 Retrieved 3 April 2013 The Age Seat swap outcry moves Virgin to think again 10 August 2012 Retrieved 15 August 2012 The Age Virgin policy change after male passenger was moved away from children 11 August 2012 Retrieved 15 August 2012 Han Esther 19 June 2014 Jetstar and Virgin taken to court for drip pricing tactics Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 21 August 2015 ACCC takes action against Jetstar and Virgin for drip pricing practices Australian Competition amp Consumer Commission 19 June 2014 Retrieved 21 August 2015 Airport blocks Virgin Australia plane with bulldozer 24 April 2020 Perth Airport blockades Virgin aircraft over unpaid debt claims 24 April 2020 External links edit nbsp Media related to Virgin Australia at Wikimedia Commons Official websitePortals nbsp Queensland nbsp Companies nbsp Aviation Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Virgin Australia amp oldid 1195761196, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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