New ATR routes announced

[777]

The first VA ATR routes have been announced.

The ATR 72-500 aircraft will operate:

• Double daily week-day return Brisbane to Gladstone.
• Daily return Brisbane to Port Macquarie.
• Double daily Sydney to Port Macquarie.
• Up to six daily return services between Sydney to Canberra.

http://www.flightcentric.com/FC/FCNews/Virgin-Australia-announces-new-regional-routes-1802.aspx

Probably a lot of what has been predicted but interesting nonetheless. THoughts?

 

[antycbr]

While I dislike props on CBR-SYD routes, I can understand exactly why VA are doing it from an economic perspective.

Obviously the rotations through PQQ allow for exchange of aircraft between SYD and BNE for maintenance - where will the maintenance hub be?

 

[awilcockson]

Wonder when this starts?

I've got a voucher for a week on Heron Island and I've put off booking because of the horrendous cost of the Brisbane - Gladstone flights on QF ...

 

[notzac]

Wonder when this starts?

From October 2011:

Virgin Australia to expand regional network « Virgin Australia Blog

 

[Jack Melon]

Nicely done VA! Still angry that they have not re-instated OOL-NTL-OOL route, JQ is filled, and they have the market to them selves, look at the money they are making VA!! And it is the reason why i am joined velocity because i travel tat route a lot, and they decide to take the route away, JQ would have a lot of points with me, but i am a loyal virgin customer but JQ has trapped me with the OOL-NTL-OOL route, and i am not payinf for QFF.

 

[Noob]

I was wondering if it would be worth Virgin Australia keeping just one or two E170s for the CBR-SYD route?

 

[UP4014]

Seems logical, keep them on linear routes, Canberra to Gladstone and points in between makes maintenance and scheduling a bit more straight forward if your base is in Brisbane. They can hope along the coast past the workshop.

 

[Jack Melon]

I was wondering if it would be worth Virgin Australia keeping just one or two E170s for the CBR-SYD route?

Nope, they are getting rid of them, 3 have already gone, the other 3 very shortly, to delta connection. ATR's will replace them.

 

[UP4014]

I was wondering if it would be worth Virgin Australia keeping just one or two E170s for the CBR-SYD route?

It's just the cost, they picked more expensive aircraft to operate on a route where QF can put Dash8's and the time difference is just a few minutes but QF has more profit per seat. Also, having one or two still means having a parts store for the E170's and people trained up in Sydney to work on them. All adds up to more cost but DJ can't charge more.

 

[awilcockson]

From October 2011:

Perfect. Cheers mate. Hope they start selling the fares soon.

 

[nathanxu]

I really hope someone from Virgin is reading this reply. I work in Geraldton in WA but my wife is in Adelaide. The flight from Geraldton to Perth with Skywest is very expensive, it is always over $200 one way for such short flight yet my flight from Perth to Adelaide is always less than $200 one way. I have been paying more to Skywest than Virgin in the last 4 months or so.

I really hope you use the ATR to Geraldton-Perth route. Even though Skywest is your partner, more seats would still do some good for the fares. If you are going to use E190 and start up a Geraldton-Adelaide route, I will fly weekly.

 

[samh004]

Was there anything said about aircraft interiors? I realise I shouldn't expect business, but I wonder what sort of interior fit out they'll get, and will it compare well with the jet interior or what QF does with the Q400's?

 

[MarkD]

There was one ATR outside Virgin Hangar in BNE on Sunday, looked to be another inside, my eyesight isnt that great at that distance, but they appeared to be cleanskins, maybe they were the new Virgin ones, or perhaps there to train up some ground staff??? anyone know?

 

[Justchecking]

Well the cbr route was no surprise neither the Gladstone. But thats a real win for port Macquarie to now have connections to both Sydney and Brisbane direct, especially for a township of it's relatively modest size. Brindabella however will hate virgin flying that route.

 

[N860CR]

I'm pretty sure Brindabella have given the PQQ route the flick, during winter at least.

Strategic might be sweating a little over Gladstone.

 

[JRT]

I was wondering if it would be worth Virgin Australia keeping just one or two E170s for the CBR-SYD route?

I'd prefer an Ejet to PQQ, but will make do with an ATR to save a few hours - weekend trip to the country to visit family almost doable.

 

[Virgin Australia]

I really hope someone from Virgin is reading this reply. I work in Geraldton in WA but my wife is in Adelaide. The flight from Geraldton to Perth with Skywest is very expensive, it is always over $200 one way for such short flight yet my flight from Perth to Adelaide is always less than $200 one way. I have been paying more to Skywest than Virgin in the last 4 months or so.

I really hope you use the ATR to Geraldton-Perth route. Even though Skywest is your partner, more seats would still do some good for the fares. If you are going to use E190 and start up a Geraldton-Adelaide route, I will fly weekly.

Read, and will pass on to the team.

There was one ATR outside Virgin Hangar in BNE on Sunday, looked to be another inside, my eyesight isnt that great at that distance, but they appeared to be cleanskins, maybe they were the new Virgin ones, or perhaps there to train up some ground staff??? anyone know?

Pretty sure they haven't arrived in AU just yet. Maybe you saw an E-Jet?

 

[UP4014]

I really hope someone from Virgin is reading this reply. I work in Geraldton in WA but my wife is in Adelaide. The flight from Geraldton to Perth with Skywest is very expensive, it is always over $200 one way for such short flight yet my flight from Perth to Adelaide is always less than $200 one way. I have been paying more to Skywest than Virgin in the last 4 months or so.

I really hope you use the ATR to Geraldton-Perth route. Even though Skywest is your partner, more seats would still do some good for the fares. If you are going to use E190 and start up a Geraldton-Adelaide route, I will fly weekly.

I think the issue with Geraldton is many people drive it as by WA standards it isn't too far from Perth. If I was running a airline in that part of the world and wanted to test the market I'd make it a good old fashion "flag stop" to use a railroad term.

 

[Justchecking]

To be honest, for flights under an hour I do not care if I am on a turboprop or a jet. Especially on any flight into or out of Sydney where the chances of receiving an air traffic control delay would wipe out any potential benefit a few minutes shaved here and there could provide. Evidently the flying public also don't care, as they didn't exactly flock to board a virgin jet in preference to a QF dash on those routes. And I'm pretty sure all virgin releases about the ATR to date have confirmed it will be a single class cabin.

 

[oz_mark]

To be honest, for flights under an hour I do not care if I am on a turboprop or a jet. Especially on any flight into or out of Sydney where the chances of receiving an air traffic control delay would wipe out any potential benefit a few minutes shaved here and there could provide. Evidently the flying public also don't care, as they didn't exactly flock to board a virgin jet in preference to a QF dash on those routes. And I'm pretty sure all virgin releases about the ATR to date have confirmed it will be a single class cabin.

The thing with Sydney-Canberra is that frequency of service is the more important issue (allows flexibility for daytrippers etc). However, there aren't really sufficient passengers to justify the jets flying backwards and forwards all day.