Virgin Australia : VA : VAU :

Ben Sandilands in his one line news Plane Talking says that Virgin Blue has really shown how it can punish Qantas for its absurd resistance to acquiring Boeing 777s.

The announced ‘phase two’ expansion of its V Australia fleet which rises to only four of these jets by December is going to be an enormous headache for Qantas.

And especially considering it holds orders or options for up to 13 Boeing 777-300ERs.

Qantas made two incredibly inept decisions concerning its fleet needs in recent years, in choosing to buy a large fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and not buying Boeing 777s.

In its defence, it was as easy a sell for the ‘plastic fantastic’ 787 sales pitch from Boeing as many other carriers, just more so considering the order peaked at 65 units and was recently trimmed to 50.

But when Geoff Dixon, then CEO, and Peter Gregg, then CFO, gloated over the wisdom of that deal in December 2005, their major competitors, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates, saw clearly the merits of the latest versions of the 777 and swooped.

The 777 is a product of a Boeing that knew how to design airliners and deliver on its promises, not the latter day Boeing that spread a truly promising concept in the 787 far and wide among sub contractors and risk sharing partners, some of them unequal to a task that the new management of Boeing wasn’t effectively supervising anyhow.

Hobbled with an aging fleet that Qantas for a period neglected to even maintain in a clean and reliable manner, it passed more than a billion dollars in excess fuel consumption into the wind by not having 777s in its fleet.

Money it will never get back. The 777-300ER is the most fuel efficient 300-400 seat sized longer range airliner available until at least 2014 and perhaps well beyond.

Qantas lost. Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates gained. And now V Australia is gaining too, even by using the 777s on routes that are really too short in some cases, such as to Phuket or Nadi, to deliver the best economics of the jet.

These short routes give V Australia the chance to play havoc against the likes of Jetstar or Air Pacific at times when the 777s would otherwise be idle between long haul flights, racking up parking fees at the major Australian airports.

Much the same way that Emirates punts its A380s and 777s across the Tasman daily to take advantage of the big cargo container market that Qantas and Air NZ neglect with their smaller single aisle jets, plus passengers as a bit more cream on top, rather than do nothing while waiting for the right time to fly back to Dubai.

Being optimised for long haul, the 777s also have much better economy class amenity than shorter haul jets (despite Emirates going for 10 across seating).

Anyone who is familiar with the crammed condition of economy class on a Qantas 747 to Johannesburg is going to be pleasantly surprised by a V Australia 777. The difference will be very noticeable over the 12-13 hour long flights.

Using 777s, V Australia will be able to offer very attractive alternatives over a range of shorter as well as longer haul flights, cutting across the territory of both Jetstar and the Qantas full service offerings.

This takes the Virgin Blue subsidiary out of its until now total exposure to the cut throat environment of the trans Pacific routes where the A380 does give Qantas a cost per seat per kilometre advantage, as well as an even nicer airliner. And it allows V Australia to diversify into markets where the giant Airbus is some years away from being a force, which it won’t become until sustained growth returns to international aviation.

And the Qantas answer to the 777, the slightly smaller 787, isn’t coming any day soon, maybe never. Qantas can use A330s very effectively over medium distances where that Airbus is the efficiency leader, but as it turns out, those who use the 777 against it in Asia, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates, also have large A330 fleets
for just that reason. They have the long and medium haul routes covered with A330/777 strategies that eluded Qantas, to its costly disadvantage.

In fact out of its better equipped major competitors, Emirates is the largest A380, 777 and A330 operator in the world, with Singapore Airlines also flying large numbers of all three types.

On Wednesday Qantas has allowed extra time for its always important financial year results announcement and briefings.

There are whispers. Some say it has cancelled the 787. Others that it has come to an agreement with Boeing to replace some or all 787s with 777s.

If it is a case of the latter, better late than never, but rather sad considering the squandered opportunities.

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un forumiste a écrit: la nouvelle a été publièe cette semaine en page 8 de Air et Cosmos a la rubrique confidentiel.d'après les calculs de la cie. Emirates 1 Airbus A 380 a pleine charge de passagers ne peut emporter que 8 a 10 tonnes de fret sur Dubai Sydney soit 2 fois moins que le Boeing 777-300 ER.information confirmée par 1 ami sur 1 forum de crash aerien infos qui a cité Singapore Airlines qui dit la meme chose...qu'en dites vous?

Sevreien a écrit:Oui ! A & C aurait pu complétér en disant, aussi, que l'A340-600 a plus de capacité d'emport en fret de soute que le B777-300ER (-ceci fut un des critères en sa faveur , quand SAA a évalué les 2 avions, sans regarder le seul aspect consommation, ... mais en faisant une comparaison globale des deux appareils : A340-600 (version de base) & B777-300ER, et en tenant compte du problème de l'impact des règles ETOPS, et le coût total (pécuniaire , image, inconvénient) des déroutements en cas de panne moteur du biréacteur, ainsi que des coûts induits par le fait d'introduire dans le bercail un moteur 'orphelin', alors que les longs-courriers de SAA furent , majoritairement, voire , exclusivement, des quadri-à motorisation RR !

Même cas pour Iberia, qui, en plus, a bénéficié de prix privélégié , en prenant les A340-600 annulées par SWISSAIR (en son temps).

Sevreien a écrit:......Mais la remarque sur la faible capacite de fret en soute de l'actuel A380-800 est juste (avion et plancher de soute trop courts).
Trop faible,.... plus faible, 'proportionnellement parlant', que pour les B777-300ER / A340-600;

Exemples de "benchmarking" de capacité de fret en soute (en tonnes ; approx.) :
---------------
-- B747-200 : 10 tonnes ;

-- B747-400 : 11 à 12 tonnes ;

-- A340-600 : 20 tonnes au moins ;
-- B777-300ER: 20 tonnes.

Ne pas oublier que, comme nous l'avons souvent dit, la contribution aux profits de 100 kg. de fret est bien supérieure à celle de 100 kg. de passager ! Et le fret ne râle pas !

Australia, the international arm of Virgin Blue, is understood to be close to announcing an order for 777-200LRs for new nonstop Sydney-New York JFK and Perth-London Heathrow service beginning in 2011.
CEO Brett Godfrey is in the final stages of negotiations with Boeing for an order of up to 70 aircraft that will include six 300-seat 777-200LRs, 737-800s and 737-900ERs for fleet replacement and expansion [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].
In February on the delivery of the airline's first 361-seat 777-300ER, Godfrey and Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson, the airline's largest shareholder, discussed major hub plans for Australia including the use of Perth for routes to the UK and South Africa.
V Australia has four 777-300ERs in service and a further three on order with seven options. In April it delayed two 777-300ERs because of the slowdown in air travel, with the fifth and sixth pushed back from 2010 to 2011 and 2012. Virgin Atlantic Airways had planned to launch LHR-Perth flights with 270-seat 787-9s in 2014 but the aircraft are now more than two years late.
Depressed aircraft prices are affording Virgin Blue an opportunity to fast-track expansion plans and tap into a resurgence in Australia's resource sector. In September it announced it was buying another 50 737s to update and expand its regional short-haul fleet but ATWOnline now understands from Brisbane-based sources that the total purchase will be for 70 aircraft and possibly may include 787s as well. Godfrey said at the time that it was "a great time to buy" and that "we don't want to miss the opportunity."
Over the past six months the global Virgin group of airlines has been working to improve synergies to offer passengers around-the-world fares and seamless transfers between the constituent carriers.

V Australia Airlines (Sydney) is interested in ordering six Boeing 777-200 LRs for the Sydney-New York (JFK) and Perth-London (Heathrow) routes in 2011 according to ATW.
The subsidiary of Virgin Blue is also expected to order Boeing 737-800s and 737-900 ERs. The order is likely to be disclosed at the upcoming Dubai Air Show.

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....

The group's long-haul operation, V Australia, is due to receive its next [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in November, but it is unlikely to start a new international route, he says.

"We are looking more at filling in the gaps," says Godfrey, who adds that flight frequencies to Johannesburg or Melbourne among others might be increased.

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Toucan a écrit:C'est le bon moment pour les acheteurs. [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir cette image]

Mais Monsieur l'acheteur doit avoir un besoin; avec face à lui des offres qui entrent dans ses plans d'affaire....

Virgin Blue Airlines Group, which comprises Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue and V Australia, signed an in-principle agreement to buy 50 737s after recording a net profit of A$62.5 million ($56.1 million) in the fiscal first half ended Dec. 31, 2009, reversed from a A$101.4 million loss in the year-ago period.

CEO Brett Godfrey told ATWOnline yesterday that the company also will upgrade its premium economy product and introduce a new "economy Lite" class on its 737s with less legroom in an effort to compete with Jetstar Airways and Tiger Airways.
According to the airline, deliveries of the 737s start from 2011 and run for seven years, but Boeing said only that "we look forward to working with Virgin Blue to finalize the order, at which time it will be posted to the Boeing Orders and Deliveries website."

Godfrey told media that while favorable fuel prices certainly contributed to the result, the company posted a 4.5% decrease in CASK excluding fuel through cost-saving initiatives and enhanced productivity across the network. "Any way you cut it, to continue to achieve cost reductions while we continue to grow our business and position it to rapidly and fully exploit any improvement in economic conditions demonstrates. . .the resilience of our model," he said. But he cautioned that the operating environment is "still uncertain" and concerns remain around the pace of the global economic recovery. Still, the company plans to expand.

Virgin Blue's half-year revenue rose 12% to A$1.51 billion. Operating expenses were up 4.5% to A$1.41 billion and yield improved 11.4% to A11.72 cents. The short-haul operation's pre-tax profit was A$108 million, up 126% year-over-year, while V Australia delivered a pre-tax loss of A$39 million, reflecting the difficult long-haul environment and startup costs. On short-haul operations, RPKs lifted 5.7% to 11.2 billion and capacity increased 6.1% to 14 billion ASKs, reducing load factor 0.1 point to 80.1%. V Australia posted 2 billion RPKs, 2.4 billion ASKs and a load factor of 81.1%.
Going forward, Blue said V Australia will be profitable later this year in line with original guidance. The group estimates pre-tax profit (excluding ineffective cash flow hedges and nondesignated derivatives) for the full fiscal year will be A$80-A$110 million.

by Geoffrey Thomas

VirginBlue converts two firm 777-300ERs to options

Virgin Blue Group canceled two 777-300ERs on firm order for its V Australia subsidiary scheduled for delivery next year, converting the order to two options for 2012 delivery.

The company said the move is designed to allow new CEO John Borghetti an opportunity to review fleet strategy. One option under consideration is to take a few "early 787s that have become available," sources tell ATWOnline. Last month, Virgin Blue ordered up to 100 737s for its domestic, New Zealand and regional international flights.

by Geoffrey Thomas

Virgin Australia is boosting passenger capacity and enlisting the help of its airline partners to carry people stranded by the extraordinary grounding of Qantas's fleet, it said Sunday.

Virgin Australia will expand its Airbus A330-based 'Coast to Coast' service to flights between Melbourne and Perth from May 14, as well as adding a daily A330 'morning peak hour' service between Melbourne and Sydney.

The airline says its Melbourne-Perth A330 flights will run twice each day, departing Melbourne at 1pm and 5.30pm for arrival into Perth at 3.15pm and 7.45pm (local Perth time).

Return flights from Perth depart at 8.30am and 5.30pm, arriving in Melbourne at 1.45pm and 10.45pm (local Melbourne time).

The morning shuttle between Melbourne and Sydney will commence on May 15, departing Melbourne at 7.15am and arriving into Sydney at 8.40am. The return service will depart Sydney at 10.00am local Sydney time, arriving Melbourne at 11.35am.

The A330 is the big gun of Virgin Australia's domestic fleet, carrying 278 passengers compared to around 180 on the Boeing 737-800 which currently plies the Melbourne-Perth route (and remains the workhorse of domestic services).

It also has more than three times the number of business class seats as the 737 – and these are more akin to international-grade seats than domestic business class seats due to the greater leg room, deeper recline and more comfortable design, all of which are major factors in making the trans-continental trek.

The flights will be served by two new Airbus A330s with a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] which drops the much-hated middle seat from the business class cabin, compared to the 2-3-2 of Virgin's first two A330s.

Tickets for both the Melbourne-Perth and Melbourne-Sydney A330 services go on sale today, with introductory fares starting from $99 (one way) from Melbourne to Sydney and $195 (one way) from Melbourne to Perth.

"With our new wide-body services, our premium Business and Economy Class offering and our designer lounge at Melbourne Domestic Airport, we are confident that Virgin Australia will be the airline of choice for the Melbourne market" said Liz Savage, Virgin Australia's Group Executive of Commercial.

Virgin Australia on Thursday said it has ordered 23 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in a deal worth USD$2.19 billion at list prices.