Virgin Australia Enriches its Short Haul International Network

23rd Nov 2015

In an effort to provide a better service for its customers in Australia and New Zealand, Virgin Australia has announced today some improvements to its short haul international network. Apart from adding more than 75,000 seats on the Trans-Tasman routes it operates in the year to follow, the Australian carrier has also added ten new return services between Sydney and Auckland, as well as nine between Melbourne and Auckland. These services will take off each week from 30th June, 2016.

Virgin Australia COO Judith Crompton confirmed this and said:

"Our new Trans-Tasman services have been timed to suit corporate travellers as well as customers connecting to regional New Zealand services. The five new return services to Auckland add an extra 1,760 seats each week on our Boeing 737 aircraft, which feature our award-winning Business Class."

Together with its partner Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia is set to add the following services between Australia and New Zealand, starting from 30th June next year:

- Three extra return services between Sydney and Auckland per week

- Two more return services every week between Melbourne and Auckland

- Up to four return additional services between Brisbane and Auckland per week. These will be available from 25th June to 2nd October, 2016, during the ski season.

In addition, Air New Zealand will also change the schedule for up to three extra return services between Sydney and Christchurch that were announced earlier in October and the same goes for the Brisbane-Dunedin service. This is all done to offer passengers better options for morning and evening departures, as well as to improve connectivity between Dunedin and Adelaide, Canberra and Queensland.

Virgin Australia has also revealed the introduction of its Airbus A330-200 plane on services from Fiji to Brisbane and Melbourne on peak travel periods. The aircraft will be deployed in the following order:

- From Brisbane every Sunday from 26th June to 2nd October, 2016

- From Sydney every Saturday from 26th March to 23rd April (Easter) 2016 and again from 25th June to 8th October, 2016

- From Melbourne every Saturday between 25th June and 8th October, 2016.