Saturday, July 4, 2009

V Australia


In early 2006 Virgin Blue announced its intention to operate up to 7 flights a week to the US using either Los Angeles International Airport or San Francisco International Airport, saying that the route was needed to make the airline as profitable as possible.

The airline was given permission for 10 flights a week to the US by Australian regulators on 24 July 2007. The plans were approved by US regulators on 15 February 2008, due to the signing of an open skies agreement between Australia and the USA. V Australia has since been allowed unlimited capacity between Australia and the US by the Australian International Air Services Commission.

The airline has also expressed interest in flying to Japan and South Africa possibly from October 2009. Virgin Blue has recently stated that it is possible that the airline's sixth Boeing 777-300ER will be used exclusively for North Asian destinations.

Since then, Virgin Blue has applied to the United States Department of Transportation to operate services to and from Sydney Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas), and New York JFK International Airport. Permission from the DOT was given on 15 February 2008, with the signing of an open skies agreement between Australia and the USA.

Virgin Blue has placed orders with Boeing to purchase six Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for use on international routes. V Australia's first 777-300ER leased from ILFC, named Didgeree Blue registered (VH-VOZ), was delivered to V Australia in Seattle at Boeing's headquarters on 26 January 2009. On 9 February Didgeree Blue touched down at Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport after flying from Seattle via Los Angeles where it was launched to the U.S press by Richard Branson and Australian celebrities Julian McMahon and Holly Valance. V Australia is only the second airline to fly the Boeing 777 on the transpacific route between Australia and North America. Air Canada started flying daily flights with the Boeing 777 one year earlier.

V Australia commenced passenger services on 27 February 2009

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