Virgin are considering non stop flights to UK from the West Coast, but unlike QANTAS, they are considering Broome, as recently Broome has opened up as an International Airport, it currently serves Star Alliance Member SilkAir, who will soon be renamed SQ, Virgin Atlantic is also very interested in Non Stop Australia flights. Broome would make a better choice as a hub distributor to the rest of the country, as it would also serve as a tropical resort stopover replacing many southeast Asian stopover trips for many Australians headed for Europe, not to mention the Europeans visiting Australia with a stopover in Broome. Sure, infrastructure will need to be enhanced, but as these long haul flights are still only possible with 300 seaters, it shouldn't be that hard, Broome would grow to support A380 class aircraft as they became available. What do you think, would you fly say MEL or SYD to LHR thru Broome?
Hi whoopersandwich, I believe they are looking at modifying their A330-200 with reduced load + no cargo as a trial, before switching or in addition to Virgin Atlantic 787-9.
There is no way that Virgin Atlantic would run a non-stop flight from London to Broome..no way. Firstly, they are an airline which s run on commercial grounds. As such, they will want a mixture of point-to-point traffic, along with transfer traffic as feeder to the service all in a mix of business and leisure traffic. The aircraft range is currently limited to the West coast of Australia, so they need additional feed from the east. Broome is a purely leisure destiination and will add traffic in sufficient number or yield, especially when there is poor frequency of feeder flights to the East, compared to somewhere like Perth.
Who said Virgin Australia wouldn't feed Virgin Atlantic? Of cause they would, just as Virgin Australia feed Etihad and SQ, in fact VA used it's metal on Etihad services between Asia and Abu Dhabi, so there is precedent.
Virgin Australia feeds Virgin Atlantic at Hong Kong from MEL and SYD, why wouldn't they get fed the rest of the country in BME, Don't forget they are a leasure Airline too.
Who said Virgin Australia wouldn't feed Virgin Atlantic? Of cause they would, just as Virgin Australia feed Etihad and SQ, in fact VA used it's metal on Etihad services between Asia and Abu Dhabi, so there is precedent.
Of course Virgin AU would feed, I’m not saying they won’t. What I am saying is that there needs to be feed of some sort and enough of it. A Virgin Atlantic London to Perth route wouldn’t survive only on point to point as Virgin doesn’t have its own UK domestic or European network to feed London either, in the way of British Airways.
Broome doesn't make sense for Virgin to launch a route like this. If I'm going to have to connect to a domestic hop anyway, why don't I do it somewhere else like Perth or Hong Kong or Singapore? There wouldn't be enough direct demand for it too.
Atlantic's expansion to PER to LHR route would be welcome competition in the current monopoly with good connections on Australia with VA and VS having their european network in London. I can see how that makes sense.
Stathis
Stathis
Member since 22 Sep 2018
Total posts 7
Virgin are considering non stop flights to UK from the West Coast, but unlike QANTAS, they are considering Broome, as recently Broome has opened up as an International Airport, it currently serves Star Alliance Member SilkAir, who will soon be renamed SQ, Virgin Atlantic is also very interested in Non Stop Australia flights. Broome would make a better choice as a hub distributor to the rest of the country, as it would also serve as a tropical resort stopover replacing many southeast Asian stopover trips for many Australians headed for Europe, not to mention the Europeans visiting Australia with a stopover in Broome. Sure, infrastructure will need to be enhanced, but as these long haul flights are still only possible with 300 seaters, it shouldn't be that hard, Broome would grow to support A380 class aircraft as they became available. What do you think, would you fly say MEL or SYD to LHR thru Broome?
whoppersandwich
whoppersandwich
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 11 Dec 2017
Total posts 125
And what aircraft are Virgin purchasing to make this work?
sid
sid
Member since 07 Jan 2011
Total posts 205
They have 12 Airbus A350-1000's starting delivery in 2019....
Stathis
Stathis
Member since 22 Sep 2018
Total posts 7
Hi whoopersandwich, I believe they are looking at modifying their A330-200 with reduced load + no cargo as a trial, before switching or in addition to Virgin Atlantic 787-9.
mspcooper
mspcooper
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 09 May 2013
Total posts 442
They as in Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Australia?
flyingvisit
flyingvisit
BA
Member since 29 Jul 2016
Total posts 34
There is no way that Virgin Atlantic would run a non-stop flight from London to Broome..no way. Firstly, they are an airline which s run on commercial grounds. As such, they will want a mixture of point-to-point traffic, along with transfer traffic as feeder to the service all in a mix of business and leisure traffic. The aircraft range is currently limited to the West coast of Australia, so they need additional feed from the east. Broome is a purely leisure destiination and will add traffic in sufficient number or yield, especially when there is poor frequency of feeder flights to the East, compared to somewhere like Perth.
Stathis
Stathis
Member since 22 Sep 2018
Total posts 7
Who said Virgin Australia wouldn't feed Virgin Atlantic? Of cause they would, just as Virgin Australia feed Etihad and SQ, in fact VA used it's metal on Etihad services between Asia and Abu Dhabi, so there is precedent.
Stathis
Stathis
Member since 22 Sep 2018
Total posts 7
Virgin Australia feeds Virgin Atlantic at Hong Kong from MEL and SYD, why wouldn't they get fed the rest of the country in BME, Don't forget they are a leasure Airline too.
JBL
JBL
Member since 01 Jun 2016
Total posts 27
LOL gonna need a source on this. There's barely a weekly flight from the east coast BME let alone a flight all the way from LHR
S
S
Member since 13 Sep 2013
Total posts 119
Haha. I think Stathis’ source is himself wanting a flight from London to Broome.
flyingvisit
flyingvisit
BA
Member since 29 Jul 2016
Total posts 34
Of course Virgin AU would feed, I’m not saying they won’t. What I am saying is that there needs to be feed of some sort and enough of it. A Virgin Atlantic London to Perth route wouldn’t survive only on point to point as Virgin doesn’t have its own UK domestic or European network to feed London either, in the way of British Airways.
djtech
djtech
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 02 Sep 2018
Total posts 375
Broome doesn't make sense for Virgin to launch a route like this. If I'm going to have to connect to a domestic hop anyway, why don't I do it somewhere else like Perth or Hong Kong or Singapore? There wouldn't be enough direct demand for it too.
xtfer
xtfer
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 14 Mar 2017
Total posts 159
Seems fanciful, but then I wouldn't have picked Cairns or Newcastle as viable international stops either...
rk1
rk1
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 19 Oct 2015
Total posts 31
Did you just suggest we’ll see A380’s flying in and out of Broome? Wow. None of this will happen.
Geoffair
Geoffair
Member since 04 May 2018
Total posts 42