Tamworth added to VARAs ATR destination.

[MarkR]

Six services a week from May.Mr Borghetti's comments come as Virgin expands its regional network in NSW by flying six times a week between Sydney and Tamworth using 68-seat ATR turboprop aircraft from May 25.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/virgin-boss-john-borghetti-expects-delay-before-weaker-dollar-lures-overseas-tourists-20150305-13v52n.html#ixzz3TUZTuPZ5

[Chris W]

This should be at least double daily (except Sunday), even as a start-up. They're not going to win customers with a mid-afternoon return.

[Rowan McKeever]

No they are not. They need to add a RON service to it, at least 6x a week.

[Arthur T]

I agree, especially once daily in mid-day is not going to attract same day return customers from Sydney. Hopefully passenger numbers to pick up and we will see more frequencies on that route.

On the other hand, great to see VA is increasing the number of destinations within regional NSW. I hope we might see something like SYD-WGA or SYD-BHQ soon.

[Robert.M]

I have doubts that Wagga will see any VARA flights in the short to mid term.

[Yusef D]

I reckon Wagga has been in Virgin's radar since the E170 days.

Defence you know.

[Robert.M]

We may have Defence but PAX numbers aren't stable enough to justify more flights, let alone another operator. I'd love to see VARA operate here but I just can't see it happening.

Back in the E170 days, the put off was the runway (since resurfaced to a better standard) and no baggage screening (which has since been installed for the Q400 to operate).

[MarkR]

We may have Defence but PAX numbers aren't stable enough to justify more flights, let alone another operator. I'd love to see VARA operate here but I just can't see it happening.

Back in the E170 days, the put off was the runway (since resurfaced to a better standard) and no baggage screening (which has since been installed for the Q400 to operate).

I would not be surprised to see them there soon, the ATR can economically handle the loads a lot better than the Q400.

[Garry Emanuel]

Do others not get tired of VA "cherry-picking" ?

They drop in and out of routes like nothing else.

Too many play them as being the "gift to the community" when in actual fact, they care little about the community and more about commerciality.

Don't get me wrong, I have no issue with the commerciality aspect - just don't play us as fools and try to sell it to the world as "doing it because they have an interest in the community" - they don't ! ! ! ! !

[Greg McDonald]

All airlines and in fact most companies are the same...the dollar rules. What it comes down to with airlines especially is that if the community doesn't support the service (bums on seats) then they won't stay around..simple economy.

[Rob R]

Do others not get tired of VA "cherry-picking" ?

They drop in and out of routes like nothing else.

Too many play them as being the "gift to the community" when in actual fact, they care little about the community and more about commerciality.

Don't get me wrong, I have no issue with the commerciality aspect - just don't play us as fools and try to sell it to the world as "doing it because they have an interest in the community" - they don't ! ! ! ! !

So what routes have they started and stopped in a short period? Most of the routes operated by the E170's were unprofitable hence they were dropped with the removal of the E170's.

Qantaslink had pulled out of just as many routes (if not more) as Virgin of the last 10 years.

Once more ATRs arrive the number of flights to TMW will increase and other regional towns such will be added to the network.

[Yusef D]

Smart business to me. Unless you have a charter client (like CNJ) if you're entering a market with a very dominant player (like BNE-BDB, or SYD-TMW) with 6 or 8 flights a day and high prices, just start once or twice a day with fares that are only a little lower, but still very profitable. The incumbent doesn't want to sell 8 flights cheap and lose 8 times the money when they can lose just a small sliver of a now stimulated market.

You call it cherry picking but it's good business. If locals don't use the service but enjoy the dominant player lowering fares in competitive response, they deserve to lose the 2nd operator, and see fares return to stupidly high levels.

[MarkR]

Do others not get tired of VA "cherry-picking" ?

They drop in and out of routes like nothing else.

Too many play them as being the "gift to the community" when in actual fact, they care little about the community and more about commerciality.

Don't get me wrong, I have no issue with the commerciality aspect - just don't play us as fools and try to sell it to the world as "doing it because they have an interest in the community" - they don't ! ! ! ! !

Well I am glad they cherry picked GLT, before then it was often cheaper to drive to ROK and catch the flight via GLT to BNE than take the very same Dash 8 from GLT. Always happy to see some competition where it makes sense, where it doesn't we have regulated air routes!

[Arthur T]

So what routes have they started and stopped in a short period? Most of the routes operated by the E170's were unprofitable hence they were dropped with the removal of the E170's.

Qantaslink had pulled out of just as many routes (if not more) as Virgin of the last 10 years.

Once more ATRs arrive the number of flights to TMW will increase and other regional towns such will be added to the network.

But didn't we see from another thread that they have stopped delivery of more ATRs? But if this is true, why they are keeping those old and fuel hungry F50s whilst they can be replaced by fuel efficient ATR72?

[Zac M]

I dont understand why VH-VPJ hasn't entered service yet. Has been in Melbourne since October.

[Ellis Taylor]

But didn't we see from another thread that they have stopped delivery of more ATRs? But if this is true, why they are keeping those old and fuel hungry F50s whilst they can be replaced by fuel efficient ATR72?

The F50s don't actually burn that much more than the ATRs, as they have similar engines and are pretty much contemporaries. The key is that the F50s are fully depreciated and on the balance sheet, so the cost of ownership/leasing is a lot less than new ATRs. That is essential for the mining market, which just cares about the operating cost as the fuel is effectively covered by the miners.

As for putting the ATRs on WA's intrastate routes, they would be just a little too big. Arguably the F50s are already too big for those routes as, at best, they were getting around 60% loads at best.

[Jacob L]

Doesn't matter to me. I love the Fokker 50 regardless. Can't wait for it to enter service on the east coast!!

[Daniel M]

I dont understand why VH-VPJ hasn't entered service yet. Has been in Melbourne since October.

Last time I looked it was tucked up right at the back of the hangar in Melbourne, doesn't look to be going anywhere soon. Probably just an ops spare in case the daily ATR service goes U/S

[Yusef D]

I think it's more complicated do than that, Daniel. If it was there as an operational spare it would be in a busier base than Mel. VARA's growth has been limited by CASA and its safety concerns, and by resources like training pilots and simulator availability. Having a mix of -500s and -600s doesn't help.

[Rowan McKeever]

Yeah I tend to agree, and it wouldn't be tucked away at the back of a hangar either. Having the ATR for the CBR-MEL-CBR service go u/s could easily be dealt with by rebooking their pax onto other flights, even subbing a 738 for an E-Jet. And if they wanted an operational spare there's plenty of space in CBR where they could park it and rotate the 'spare' status around different aircraft to keep them all going, just like we're all told to start our cars often to keep everything ticking for them.

[Robert.M]

I dont understand why VH-VPJ hasn't entered service yet. Has been in Melbourne since October.

Its on the move to Brisbane (https://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHVPJ)!

[Oliver Gigacz]

Looks like it has ADS-B installed.

[Robert.M]

Looks like it was fitted when it was at the factory. WIHH to YPPH (https://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHVPJ/history/20140904/0800Z/WIHH/YPPH/tracklog) (FlightAware Enterprise account needed to view the link)

[Andrew P]

Tamworth is the base where East West lived it later was called Impulse to be gobbled up by Qantas, from memory they flew F27 & F28 from Tamworth

[Rob R]

To be correct, East West was taken over by Ansett in the late 80s or 90s.

Impulse Airlines started out as a small Sydney based night freight operator and brought the first Beech 1900D into the country. These 1900s were leased to Oxley Airlines (HO in PMQ) during the day. Oxley ran into trouble and a impulse took them over.

[Andrew P]

close but not exact!

[Anthony Collins]

For those interested in some Tamworth / East West history, this two part video is very interesting. Proof that hardships in airlines began long ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkdabOJfLTY