Virgin Airlines’ Australian subsidiary has ordered nine Boeing 737-800 New Generation (NG) aircraft to extend its fleet, expecting domestic travel to increase.
According to a release by the company, it expects summer holiday travel to garner business for air travel and aims for all nine jets to be flying by mid-February to meet the surge in demand. The nationwide vaccinations will soon lead to interstate borders being opened and thus, domestic travel is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels.
With the added flights in its fleet, Virgin Australia aims to take over 33pc of the market share for domestic travel, counting on pent-up demand due to the second wave of restrictions in Australia. The airline also noted that it has started planning for March 2023, when it hopes to take delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max 10. The company currently operates two Boeing 737-7s and 66 737-8s.