Virgin Australia to add more Boeing 737 MAX 8s
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By Derek Rose in Sydney
Virgin Australia is adding four Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to its fleet, taking its number of Boeing 737s to 92.
The airline will take first delivery of the aircraft in the second half of 2023, it announced on Wednesday.
“Despite the challenges faced by our industry, demand for travel remains strong and we’re responding with a focus on the long-term,” Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said in a statement.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft have 15 per cent less emissions than Boeing 737NG aircraft, according to Virgin Australia, which has pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Virgin Australia also said it had secured priority access to a Boeing 737NG full-flight simulator in Jandakot, near Perth.
Availability will begin in April through a long-term partnership with global aviation training provider CAE.
The partnership increases Virgin Australia’s domestic training capacity by 25 per cent, and is its first simulator outside of Victoria or Queensland.
It means that the airline’s West Australian pilots won’t have to travel to the east coast for training,
“Demand for 737NG simulator training is at extraordinary levels globally and securing this capacity at home is an enormous benefit to both Virgin Australia, and our pilots undergoing training.”
The airline famously went into voluntary administration at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, was bought by private equity firm Bain Capital and relaunched in November 2020.
Virgin Australia this week increased its workforce to more than 7,000, Ms Hrdlicka said.
AAP
