VA Fleet & Operations
 

Ayden H Ayden H

Join Date: Jul 2024
Posts: 170
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9V-MGC will become VH-IJR.

Greg Hyde Greg Hyde
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 5,012
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VH-REX was formally leased to VA on 21/11/2024

This is probably a better thread than VA/TT departures due to that being created for aircraft being repossessed during 2020/21.

That's why I created it.

RQP has arrived in MEL, due to WGA tomorrow.

VH-REX likely to enter service on Friday 13th

RQP flight to WGA is delayed by an hour and a half so far.

Arrived an hour and 40 minutes late. Port side had a VA front engine cowling.

https://aviationspotting.au/_data/i/...ef28e1b-xs.jpg

Virgin Australia aircraft on order:

VH-REX (MSN 36609, LN 3232), 737-8FE
VH-RQP (MSN 37822, LN 3355), 737-8FE
VH-IJR (MSN 44219, LN 4882), 737-8SA
VH-??? (MSN 44220, LN 4926), 737-8SA
VH-8II (MSN 65121, LN 9216), 737-8
VH-8IJ (MSN 65126, LN 9226), 737-8
VH-8IK (MSN 65116, LN 9240), 737-8
VH-8VA (MSN 67034, LN 9250), 737-8
VH-8VB (MSN 67035, LN 9284), 737-8
VH-8VC (MSN 67036, LN 9295), 737-8

Plus eight Embraer E190-E2s, to be delivered from October 2025.

RQP was leased to VA on 09/12/2024

Apparently the E2's have been delayed by 6 months.

Originally announced as 2025Q2 delivery, delayed 6 months would make 2025Q4 which would agree with the above ETAs

Where did you see that? From what I've read the original EIS was Oct 2025.

Info from someone who works at VARA.

Does anyone know when VH-REX will enter service? I'm guessing it's having its cabin refitted in Melbourne to the new 182 seat config.

It's listed internally as being a 176-seater, not sure if they're intending to change that or not

Ah ok. Either way it would have to have the seats changed because Rex changed them due to the spat they had with VA re Economy X/Rextra

So... if the latest delivered Max is LN 9008 (9M-MVF) does that mean there will be 208 deliveries before Virgin gets its next Max? That will take it way into 2025 if not beyond.

Not necessarily. Line numbers aren't always delivered in order, however with current production levels it looks unlikely to be delivered before 4Q25, or even 1Q26.

VH-REX now 20th
VH-RQP WGA to MEL 17th

Good news, Boeing workers have returned to work, so they will be able to ramp up production unless the FAA finds more problems

REX got MEL-BNE planned for it's first VA flight followed by a couple Canberra returns

Boeing is currently limited to producing 38 MAX aircraft a month by the FAA but haven't been building close to that since around 2019, though that restriction could change or be removed entirely next year.

Qatar are looking at converting their 10s to 8s on order and then handing them to VA etc to lease

Interesting that they wouldn’t just give VA the Air Italy ones, but I guess they have a narrowbody market of their own to serve.

RQP is due out tomorrow from WGA at 9am. I’ll miss it again, working at that time.

VH-VUT due in BNE later today on return from Maintenance in XSP

Mistake, it is VUL on the way. But VUT has been in AUH in maintenance and was due to leave XSP at 08.30 today but has not moved yet.

REX still hasn’t done its first revenue service with VA yet.

Looks to be loaded into the schedule now, due to operate VA309 MEL BNE tomorrow (24DEC)

Schedule as follows STC:
24/12 VA309 MEL-BNE
24/12 VA702 BNE-HBA
24/12 VA705 HBA-BNE
24/12 VA342 BNE-MEL
24/12 VA291 MEL-CBR
25/12 VA1207 CBR-BNE
25/12 VA924 BNE-SYD
25/12 VA523 SYD-OOL
25/12 VA526 OOL-SYD
25/12 VA874 SYD-MEL

VH=REX returned to VA service this morning with VA309 MEL-BNE

Ended up doing VA1404 BNE-ADL, rather than going back to MEL. Scheduled ADL-SYD, SYD-ADL, ADL-ASP and ASP-ADL tomorrow.

RQP has now popped up in the schedule, showing as operating VA1293 - MEL CNS on 05JAN

RQP re-entered VA service today (04/01/2025) with VOZ827 departed MEL -> SYD

VA's growth plans are being stymied by lack of Max deliveries and low availability of 737NGs.

Now that the 2 ex-Rex 800s are flying the next two in are IJR and IXK ex Silkair, then the departure of 2 A320s and 3 VH-VU_ series 800s mid year.

Hoping for 6 Max 8 deliveries.

Thank you Yusef, can you confirm that IXK is Line Number 4926 and IJR is 4882? Do you also happen to know which VU_ registrations are likely to be culled?

I don't know which is which, Lauren, but planespotters gives IJR as 4882, so that's likely true.

As for the 800s, VUI and VUJ would have to be likely, they've missed out on a lot of mods like cabin, wifi, RAAS, they're from the same lessor and have come, gone and come again as a pair.

If it’s three VU series could it possibly be the three 8KGs? VUW, VUY and VUZ?

VUZ is an 8FE, the two 8KGs (VUW/VUY) are possible but I would’ve assumed they’d start with some older aircraft. When COVID came they seemed to retire older 8FEs rather than the 8KGs/81Ds.