Has G-VFLY Left The VS Fleet? — Civil Aviation Forum

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Has G-VFLY Left The VS Fleet?

OHLBU From Finland, joined Jan 2005, 226 posts, RR: 0
Posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 1705 times:

Is G-VFLY "Dragon Lady", the A343 that Virgin sold to Finnair (though I'm not 100% sure about the airframe) still current with VS? Any news about the date of ferry-flight to Helsinki? Or if it will be refurbished/repainted in the UK? The cabin mods will surely take a few weeks and Finnair's Maintenance has it's hands full with the MD-11 modifications.

12 replies: All unread, jump to last

BA0284 From United Kingdom (England), joined Oct 2005, 280 posts, RR: 1
Reply 1, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 1579 times:

Well at the moment G-VFLY definitely has not left the airline yet. In fact it went out to Cape Town on the 15th as VIR603! I don't know whether this is the actual aircraft going to Finnair. I think G-VBUS and G-VSKY are the only ones which have left VS, going to Virgin Nigeria and BWIA respectively.

Hope this helps!
BA0284 Smile

Sevenheavy From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2004, 711 posts, RR: 10
Reply 2, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 1480 times:

G-VFLY is scheduled to leave the VS fleet late June/Early July. AFAIK it will retain the Arcadia IFE system and the basic seating will be the same.

As per another post G-VSUN has also now gone to VK, leaving G-VAEL the only aircraft with arcadia left in the fleet from July.

Regards

So long 701, it was nice knowing you.

AngelAirways From United Kingdom, joined Nov 1999, 494 posts, RR: 0
Reply 3, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1434 times:

VFLY is in the fleet until the 26th May 2006, after which it officially gets returned to "Laura Leasing" but in reality will go to Finnair.

Meanwhile, and this is the weirdest of things, TAAG Angola were interested in VAEL (interest expressed only).

VAEL is one of the worst examples in the fleet as it has the really old and unreliable IFE and interior. Same as the BWIA one that is now 9Y-JIL and regularly flies without IFE because there are no resources to repair it... and all the reds on the interior have gone into a pinky fade.. nasty.

Richard28 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2003, 1402 posts, RR: 8
Reply 4, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1339 times:

Quoting AngelAirways (Reply 3):
VAEL is one of the worst examples in the fleet as it has the really old and unreliable IFE and interior.

VAEL has exactly the same config as the other A343's leaving the fleet (VSUN, and VFLY) and those already left (VSKY and VBUS) (i.e. same seats, and IFE).

Quoting AngelAirways (Reply 3):
Same as the BWIA one that is now 9Y-JIL and regularly flies without IFE because there are no resources to repair it..

It has the Arcadia IFE, all seemed to be working fine with no flaking paint when I last flew her.

Timboflier215 From United Kingdom, joined May 2005, 684 posts, RR: 0
Reply 5, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1321 times:

when will VAEL leave the fleet? im sure VS are looking to get rid of it, one a/c that is sub-standard could be an earnings loser if people have high expectation which are not met

Richard28 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2003, 1402 posts, RR: 8
Reply 6, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1268 times:

Quoting Timboflier215 (Reply 5):
when will VAEL leave the fleet? im sure VS are looking to get rid of it, one a/c that is sub-standard could be an earnings loser if people have high expectation which are not met

As I understand it is scheduled to leave before the end of the year - exact date/new owner TBC

OHLBU From Finland, joined Jan 2005, 226 posts, RR: 0
Reply 7, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1221 times:

Quoting AngelAirways (Reply 3):
it officially gets returned to "Laura Leasing"

Sounds logical, as Finnair officially intended to make a lease-back deal with the aircraft anyway.

Quoting AngelAirways (Reply 3):
VAEL is one of the worst examples in the fleet

Funny that Finnair didn't get that one, as they seem to love buying rubbish from other airlines, like the ex-Varig OH-LGG.

Crosscountry From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2005, 125 posts, RR: 0
Reply 8, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1146 times:

I flew on VAEL last month.
She was a bit tired looking (as I have also said about VSUN in another post) The tray table on my seat was jammed and the IFE locked up for a good hour but the ride was good and I actually managed to get some sleep.
Wouldn't be suprised to see these birds go. They let the side down a bit for VS.
Incidentally, the A340-300 did not seem the best aircraft I've ever been on for getting the meal service out.
Having flown on every type in the VS fleet, the meal service was definitely slower on the A340 and on the outbound leg they actually ran out of meals, complaining about galley space.
The poor woman infront of me had to put up with a few rounds of butties for the long haul to CPT!!!
Wouldn't be suprised to see most of the -300's gone pretty soon.
However, as an interesting point, would they not make a pretty nifty sub fleet for MAN ops...particularly as I believe maintenance is done just over the Irish Sea in Dublin?

Eilennaei From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 9, posted (3 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1124 times:

Quoting OHLBU (Reply 7):
Funny that Finnair didn't get that one, as they seem to love buying rubbish from other airlines, like the ex-Varig OH-LGG.

Careful here, please. OH-LGG has from all I know been performing just like the other AY MD-11s. Seems to me it's quite possible to repair an airframe to a "like new" condition in heavy maintenance, although this one took some 150% of the time scheduled.

OHLBU From Finland, joined Jan 2005, 226 posts, RR: 0
Reply 10, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 930 times:

Quoting Eilennaei (Reply 9):

That's what I meant, no use in buying second-hand stuff if you have to rebuild it before you can operate it.

Quoting Crosscountry (Reply 8):
they actually ran out of meals, complaining about galley space

That sounds odd, like they would have crammed in more seats than they have space for meals.

Eilennaei From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 11, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 863 times:

Quoting OHLBU (Reply 10):
That's what I meant, no use in buying second-hand stuff if you have to rebuild it before you can operate it.

Would think a pending heavy maintenance is discounted into the price.

VIR744 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2006, 35 posts, RR: 0
Reply 12, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 775 times:

For info: G-VBUS is still part of the VS fleet operating in VK colours, but is to become part of VKs fleet in the future.

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