Virgin Australia has kicked off its return to long-haul international flying with a new route between Queensland and Tokyo, in another sign the airline is preparing for a much-discussed IPO.
Daily flights between Haneda and Cairns will begin in June as part of a partnership with the Queensland Government’s attractive aviation investment fund.
Virgin boss Jayne Hrdlicka said the route was important to the Brisbane-based company and hoped it would boost trade and tourism in far north Queensland.Recognition:And Peled
The announcement follows the airline’s recent statement that it has returned to profitability just two years after its near demise. Bain Capital acquired Virgin when it entered voluntary administration in 2020 for $3.5 billion.
The route is Virgin’s first non-stop international flight lasting more than seven hours since the acquisition.
Bain withdrew from Virgin’s former international subsidiary, Tiger Airways, in 2020 and has so far limited the airline’s international presence to short-haul destinations such as Bali and Vanuatu.
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The airline’s former long-haul fleet of Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s was scrapped under new ownership. The Haneda route is served by the airline’s Boeing 737-8.
Virgin boss Jayne Hrdlicka said the route was important to the Brisbane-based company and hoped it would boost trade and tourism in far north Queensland.
There’s more to come
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