VB/PB livery rebranding starts.

[Andrew Coggan]

VH-ZPQ just departed RWY34R in Virgin Australia livery, no longer with her AFL decals.

[Rowan McKeever]

Sorry if this has already been covered (although I can't see it anywhere).

What is the long-term plan for the -700s? I've been looking a bit at the DJ schedules for next winter (around May) and they don't appear at all. Are they staying and simply being covered as -800/E190 in the booking system or are they going? If they're staying what services are they likely to be operating?

Cheers
Rowan

[Dave Dale]

I think Virgin own outright 737-700's VBY and VBZ. All others are leased.

Dave

[Jayden Laing]

Rowan,
I think that the long term plan is to eventually replace all the 700's with the 737NG's when they come along. Can you remember when Godfrey announced the purchase of up to 50 new Boeing 737NG's.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/busi...-1225848430041 (Written on 1st April 2010)

[Oliver Gigacz]

Just flew VH-VUI (738) to ADL. It has the new business class seats and one row of the new Economy seats. Is it normal for them just to do one row.

[Skip Fulton]

If you think back it was 13th September 2001 that Ansett flew for the last time

Very soon after that Virgin Blue scoured the world to get any aircraft it could. I recall the 737-700s were the most 'available' at the time. So if those aircraft were leased for 10 years, they'd be coming due around now and in the next 6-12 months.

Part of the strategy may be to return these leased aircraft and take new ones from the factory line. It appears most of these new ones are 800s. This could be part of the order Jayden mentioned.

[Rowan McKeever]

Thanks everyone! End of lease makes sense as Skip says & they do seem to be bringing in a lot of -800s, plus I know there's a handful more destined for Aerolineas. Are there many more -800s due in the next 12 months after the steady stream we've been seeing recently?

Interesting that they seem to be moving away from relatively small jumps in capacity towards much wider gaps, i.e. ATR to E190 to B738 to A332 to B77W, even if a few -700s stay, especially with ABX AND MQL becoming exclusively E190 territory. I wonder if that's an indication we could be seeing more E190 and perhaps some of Godfrey's 50 being -900ER?

[Kent Broadhead]

Originally Posted by Rowan McKeever

Interesting that they seem to be moving away from relatively small jumps in capacity towards much wider gaps, i.e. ATR to E190 to B738 to A332 to B77W,

The 900ER seems sensible. Remember though its competitor is similar, though with an even bigger gap from the props to jets - Q400 to 738 (734 going) to 763 (going) to 332/3 to 744 to A380

[Ryan K]

QF do also have the flexibility of offering the 115 seat Boeing 717 in some ports.

[Kent Broadhead]

True - but not in the same areas as VB with the E190 (generally)