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- Australians can expect even more opportunities to fly the Boeing 737 MAX as both Virgin Australia and Bonza add more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to their fleets in 2024.
- Virgin Australia is rapidly expanding its 737 MAX fleet and plans to add one new MAX 8 every month this year. We are also ordering additional MAX 10s for future deliveries.
- In contrast to Qantas’ outsourcing decision, Virgin Australia has outsourced its international baggage handling operations in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The move makes economic sense and is seen as an effort to upskill employees.
Australians who have been flying domestically on the Boeing 737-800 for decades are in for a treat in 2024, when both Virgin Australia and low-cost carrier Bonza add the 737 MAX 8 to their fleet. Add more. The biggest change comes from Virgin Australia, which plans to add about one new MAX 8 aircraft every month (on average) this year.
More opportunities to fly the 737 MAX
A year ago, Australians were able to fly a Boeing 737 MAX 8 for the first time when Bonza launched initial services between Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) and Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP). In Bonza’s first year he carried over 650,000 passengers and developed his network of 38 routes to 21 destinations from his base at Tullamarine Airport in the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Melbourne.
Photo: Virgin Australia
The 737 MAX experience is rapidly expanding at Virgin Australia (VA), which introduced its first MAX 8 in July last year and currently operates three aircraft on both domestic and international routes. At the launch, Virgin Australia CEO Jane Hrdlicka said the new aircraft is the first of eight MAX 8s joining the company, which also has 25 737 MAX 10s on order. admitted that it had been done. VA announced in November that it had ordered six additional MAX aircraft, with the remaining 11 scheduled to arrive in stages in 2024.
VA also confirmed that the order for 25 MAX 10 aircraft remains in place, with deliveries to begin in late 2025. With 39 new-generation 737 MAX aircraft in the pipeline, VA is undertaking a rapid and extensive fleet renewal program for its current fleet of more than 80 737-700 aircraft. /800 seconds. The upgrade comes as the mid-sized airline plans to invest A$110 million ($74 million) over the next 18 to 24 months to refurbish its 737-800s to the same cabin standards as the MAX 8. The combination of and the arrival of new aircraft is good news for VA. Number of passengers in 2024.
Photo: Virgin Australia
Tracking data from flight radar 24 The diagram shows that the three existing MAX 8s, VH-8IA, VH-8IB, and VH-8IC, typically operate at about 4 sectors each day. These often include short legs, such as a round trip between Sydney and Melbourne, followed by a longer transcontinental round trip to Perth or Brisbane. The 737 MAX 8 was introduced for passengers in Virginia on a route between Cairns in North Queensland and Tokyo Haneda, and has recently been primarily operated by VH-8IC.
In another rotation on 9 January, VH-8IB flew Sydney to Brisbane, then Brisbane to Perth, and the next day it operated Perth to Adelaide round trip and Perth to Brisbane. With all three companies maintaining continuous service and more scheduled for this year, VA is amassing significant firepower for domestic and short-haul international programs.
Bringing international baggage into the office
Most aviation enthusiasts, and readers of Simple Flying, will have heard of the lawsuits and bad publicity surrounding Qantas’ decision to outsource baggage handling to third-party ground handlers. The fallout is still unresolved, and whatever the economics of this decision, it tarnished Qantas’ image and received more negative publicity than it deserved.
Photo: Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia announced it would outsource its international ramp (baggage handling) operations in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne from the beginning of this year, taking exactly the opposite approach and mirroring the way it currently handles its domestic services. VA said this insourcing makes economic sense and is core to the company’s efforts to improve the skills of its employees and provide more time to willing team members.
Paul Woosnam, general manager of Virgin Australia Airport Experience, said Virgin Australia’s short-haul international business, with 10 to 12 daily flights from Australia to six destinations in the Asia-Pacific region, offers customers value and choice. He said that they play an important role in providing.
“With the introduction of new fuel-efficient aircraft, we have planned growth in this sector, which is a great opportunity for Virgin Australia, while also providing opportunities for growth and development for our people. Our decision to outsource the role demonstrates Virgin Australia’s commitment to further expanding our workgroup and providing further work and career opportunities. ”
