New era for Virgin Australia has arrived

A new era has come for Virgin Australia as it takes delivery of the first of its new aircraft today, the latest in the Boeing 737 MAX family. The first aircraft was flown by a specialist Virgin Australia flight crew from Seattle, Washington, to Honolulu, then on to Nadi and then into Brisbane, the airline’s hometown.

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737 MAX 8 VH-8IA (MSN 65045)

The 737-MAX 8 aircraft is quieter and offers an even better experience for customers, with next-generation seats that feature device holders and in-seat power. It is also at least 15% more fuel efficient per flight compared to the 737-800 NG fleet.

Chief Operations Officer Stuart Aggs said that the new aircraft support Virgin Australia’s commitment to targeting net zero emissions by 2050. He explained: “While our approach to decarbonisation is multi-faceted, fleet modernisation is a critical part of progressing our sustainability ambitions and represents a significant opportunity to reduce our emissions intensity in the near-term.

“We expect our fleet renewal program, combined with other fuel efficiency initiatives, to support over 80 per cent of our 2030 interim target to reduce Virgin Australia’s carbon emission intensity by 22 per cent.”

33 new aircraft will join the Virgin Australia fleet over the next five years, complementing its simplified 737 fleet, which is already one of the youngest commercial fleets in Australia. The arrival of this MAX 8 brings their fleet of 737's to 85.

This new aircraft is called Monkey Mia – following Virgin Australia’s tradition of naming its aircraft after Australian bodies of water. It will fly the airline’s new Cairns to Haneda route, which also launched this week.

The first Australian airline to operate the MAX 8 was Bonza when it launched services in January, other airlines that fly the MAX 8 into Australia is Fiji Airways and Batik Airways.