V Australia's next Destination?

[Jarden S]

Where could V Australia fly to next with the 5th 777?

Would their variant of the 777 have the range to do Perth-London non stop or would it be weight restricted either direction? Hope they don't defer delivery of them. Plenty of oportunities to use them where Qantas have not the right Aircraft type for a particular market segment. Are the plans to fly to JNB on hold for a wait and see how the economic situation may change?

[Tim Bowrey]

Whens the next one due? What will rego be? with VPD and E will it be VPF?

[Michael Morrison]

I think 5/6/7 have all been delayted until 2010 so any new destiantions are a while off.

they have rights to fly to JNB but they expire in October. I presume as the ETOPS limits have not been increased for the 77W to ops SYD-JNB they made the decision to laucnh MEL-LAX with #4 instead.

When 2010 does come around I would say HKG or NRT would be markets they could look at. Esp as they can hook up with Virgin Atlantic also in those ports.

[matthew mcdonald]

Tim, I believe that all the rest of the V Australia fleet will be delivered under the VH-VP's category. (VH-VPF, g, h, i) etc.

[Edward Terry]

they have rights to fly to JNB but they expire in October.

Does anyone know how much 'rights' cost?

[David C]

Where could V Australia fly to next with the 5th 777?

Would their variant of the 777 have the range to do Perth-London non stop or would it be weight restricted either direction?

Here are the range specs per B777 variants ... As you can see PER- London ( LGW, LHR , STN ) are within range for some models ..Just click on Tech specs , range , then London .
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/777family/777technical.html

Dave C

[Jarden S]

Please refrain from quoting the whole previous post in your post, it is not necessary, thank you - mod


Thanks Dave, so it can probably do it. Would there be a market for a 1st
non stop UK-Australia flight ex Perth. Heaps of english live in WA. I wonder if DJ has thoght of it?

[lloyd fox]

I think 5/6/7 have all been delayted until 2010 so any new destiantions are a while off.

they have rights to fly to JNB but they expire in October. I presume as the ETOPS limits have not been increased for the 77W to ops SYD-JNB they made the decision to laucnh MEL-LAX with #4 instead.

When 2010 does come around I would say HKG or NRT would be markets they could look at. Esp as they can hook up with Virgin Atlantic also in those ports.

Aircraft 4 will do MEL-LAX 3/WK and give BNE its 4 th flight to LAX.

Aircraft 5 is mooted for SYD-JNB

Yes NRT,HKG and dont forget SHA for possible later aircraft routings, also HKG could be operated out of MEL or BNE so not to double up on Virgin Atlantic SYD-HKG.

Cheers Lloyd

[Sarah C]

Aircraft 5 and 6 will be deferred:


"Virgin Blue's long-haul international offshoot, V Australia, has just announced the deferral of its 5th and 6th Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.The two aircraft were scheduled for delivery into VA's fleet next year, but their delivery has now been pushed back until 2011 and 2012.Virgin Blue says there has been no change to the planned delivery of VA's 4th B777 jet (in Q3 2009), or the 7th aircraft, which is due in the second half of 2010."

[Jason Carruthers]

Would there be a market for a 1st
non stop UK-Australia flight ex Perth. Heaps of english live in WA. I wonder if DJ has thoght of it?

That may be so but the only 777 able to fly it nonstop year round with a full payload is the 777-200LR which I can't see VA acquiring 2-3 different aircraft for a single route. Their 77W's might be able to do the Eastbound leg nonstop most of the time but going Westbound It would almost certainly need a techstop on the way.


Besides didn't VS mention they wanted to do LON-PER with the 787-9 whether it becomes viable or not I guess we'll see what happens in the next few years.



Jason


P.S. has anyone else noticed in the Boeing 777 range circles BKK and SIN are the wrong way round?

[Michael Mak]

but their delivery has now been pushed back until 2011 and 2012.Virgin Blue says there has been no change to the planned delivery of VA's 4th B777 jet (in Q3 2009), or the 7th aircraft, which is due in the second half of 2010."
I guess JNB is now off until at least 2010.

[Michael Morrison]

Please refrain from quoting the whole previous post in your post, it is not necessary, thank you - mod


And that is also providing the 777 gets approval for longer ETOPS.

[Owen H]

I must admit I don't understand the obsession with JNB.

It is a highly premium market (not a heap in the way of leisure travel), and the 777 won't even do it from Sydney, so it'd be PER - JNB.

There are far bigger markets for Virgin to chase.

[Rhys Xanthis]

Please refrain from quoting the whole previous post in your post, it is not necessary, thank you - mod

You sure?

At the moment its only 1 airline servicing the route, with very good loads iirc.

All VAus have to do is open up the leisure market - many things to do in South Africa (all of Africa really) which can be exploited...Victoria falls and all the nature/wildlife parks for a start.

[Michael Morrison]

Can'tbe that good - QF have recently announced they will be making cuts to that route.

[NickN]

I have some photos of Pretoria and J'burg from my family that I received in email a few days back. If you saw them you'd understand why nobody wants to go there anymore, myself included.

Owen is right, there is no leisure market in SA, not like there used to be. The place truly is becoming a real 3rd world country. I'd be happy to post up the photos, they really are quite saddening.

[Michael Morrison]

I was in Cape Town over New Year. Sure the V&A is pretty and there is some nice scenary, but apart from that the place is a dump.

People are rude - plus it is not safe to walk around. We stayed at the Westin which is a 10 mins walk to the V&A but the hotel had a free bus... I thought it strange and we walked the first day..... got hassled every couple of hundred metres and one guy threatened to pull a knife out.... not pleasant at all! Won't be going back in a hurry!