Virgin Australia begins countdown to new Boeing 737 MAX jets
By David Flynn, December 9 2015
Boeing revealed its new 737 MAX jet overnight, with Virgin Australia set to start flying the fuel-efficient jet in 2018.
Designed as a replacement for the Boeing 737-800, which is the domestic workhorse of both Virgin Australia and Qantas, Boeing claims the 737 8 MAX will be sip 20% less fuel than its popular predecessor.
New high-efficiency engines and refined aerodynamics – including eye-catching split wingtip designs – are at the core of the 737 MAX's fuel-friendly nature.
The aircraft will also feature the light and spacious Boeing Sky Interior already seen on the latest Boeing 737-800s as well as quiet engine technology to "significantly reduce its noise footprint".
Virgin Australia has signed up for 40 of the MAX 8's and will be the first airline to fly them in Aussie skies.
“The Boeing 737 has formed a critical part of the Virgin Australia fleet over the past decade thanks to its reliability, comfort and fuel efficiency" Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti said when signing the initial 737MAX order in 2012.
"The Boeing 737 MAX will build on this, enabling us to achieve strong on time performance and maintain our low cost base."
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Dec 2014
Total posts 286
Loving the wingtips and engines!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1248
Love the engines, hate the split winglets. Give me the graceful lines of blended winglets any day.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Oct 2013
Total posts 714
Will the interior b fitted any differently?
Lufthansa - Miles & More
29 Jul 2014
Total posts 185
Still a little bit early to tell
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Feb 2015
Total posts 149
I wonder if they'll do auto dimming windows like 787
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
14 Jan 2014
Total posts 326
Doubtful
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 451
Hopefully not, if I chose the window seat, the whole idea is for me to...look out the window, not for it to be controlled by some disgruntled flight attendant, unless the sun is setting/rising of course and is blazing through the cabin.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
13 Jul 2015
Total posts 255
I mean, technically I've only seen flight attendents control it on landing and takeoff- everything in between is your choice.
20 May 2015
Total posts 588
Glad to see Virgin getting new planes (sure, Qantas is a very good airline, but Virgin is more my thing from a purely aesthetic point of view). Now, maybe they'll start thinking about widebody fleet renewal/enlargement soon.
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