Leelaw From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 8527 times:
SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Australian airline Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd. said Thursday it has ordered 20 new aircraft from the Embraer E-Jet family, which have a list value of A$950 million.
Stepping up competition with rival airline Qantas Airways Ltd., Virgin Blue said the order includes firm commitments for 11 Embraer 190 and three Embraer 170 jet aircraft and options for six additional E-Jets.
"This new jet will enhance our ability to serve the corporate market by more accurately matching seat capacity and frequency to passenger demand," Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey said in a statement.
I just saw the news myself. This is an interesting move by DJ. I can imagine there are a number of Australian cities, such as Canberra and NSW North Coast destinations, where the Embraer would be better suited. I wonder if this means a move into the NZ domestic market to provide some feeder services as well??
Jacobin777 From United States, joined Sep 2004, 13323 posts, RR: 69 Reply 3, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 8474 times:
Quoting Leelaw (Thread starter): SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Australian airline Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd. said Thursday it has ordered 20 new aircraft from the Embraer E-Jet family, which have a list value of A$950 million.
Stepping up competition with rival airline Qantas Airways Ltd., Virgin Blue said the order includes firm commitments for 11 Embraer 190 and three Embraer 170 jet aircraft and options for six additional E-Jets.
"This new jet will enhance our ability to serve the corporate market by more accurately matching seat capacity and frequency to passenger demand," Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey said in a statement.
Ikramerica From United States, joined May 2005, 18434 posts, RR: 60 Reply 6, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 8368 times:
Quoting Leelaw (Thread starter): "This new jet will enhance our ability to serve the corporate market by more accurately matching seat capacity and frequency to passenger demand," Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey said in a statement.
Sounds like the same argument for the 787 on longer routes...
Of all the things to worry about... the Wookie has no pants.
Antares From Australia, joined Jun 2004, 1402 posts, RR: 42 Reply 8, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 8342 times:
This is aimed directly at Qantaslink.
As a regular victim of the shoddy little rattle tubes, the Embraers seem likely to win more converts than just this tall, cranky customer.
I can see this taking slices off the competition in Canberra and Adelaide and places like Hamilton Island and Maroochydore, where the jammed tight Jetstar configuration has really brassed off the regulars no end.
PPVRA From Brazil, joined Nov 2004, 6067 posts, RR: 48 Reply 10, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 8273 times:
Quoting Jimyvr (Reply 4): so this is the new trend for LCC operating dual jet and still makes profit like it used to be?
No reason why fleet simplification means just one aircraft type nor only one aircraft type is profitable. Those jets will be making profit off markets the 737s couldn't which = more money for the company.
Cheers and congrats to Embraer as well as DJ for their new jets!
"If goods do not cross borders, soldiers will" - Frederic Bastiat
QF744 From Australia, joined Feb 2004, 375 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 8257 times:
Here's the complete, official release from DJ.
Great news!!
Enjoy!
QF744
- New Fleet strategy for Australia’s ‘New World Carrier’
Thursday 2 November 2006: Virgin Blue Holdings today announced a major new investment with an
AUD$950 million list price order for 20 aircraft from the Embraer E-Jet family.
With deliveries commencing in 2007, the order includes firm commitments for 11 EMBRAER 190 and 3 EMBRAER 170 jet aircraft and options for 6 additional E-Jets.
The Brazilian jets – the first of their type to operate scheduled services in the Australasian region will give the Virgin Blue Group significant additional operating flexibility, while increasing efficiency through lower fuel burn.
Both aircraft types will be fitted with leather Elite seats, the widest economy seat offered worldwide on a single aisle aircraft. Virgin Blue will configure its jets in a single class, 2 x 2 seat layout.
“This acquisition is a key step-change for Virgin Blue under our New World Carrier strategy announced last year,” said the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Brett Godfrey.
“Our current fleet of Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft provides sufficient capacity to serve key routes in the Australian, trans-Tasman and Pacific Island markets, however it is not optimal on all markets,” said Mr Godfrey.
“This new jet will enhance our ability to serve the corporate market by more accurately matching seat capacity and frequency to passenger demand.
“We believe the Embraer E-jet family provides jets with large capabilities, which will enable us to operate the right sized aircraft, not only for specific routes, but for specific days and even particular times of the day and night.”
“Virgin Blue will have the ability to complement and “right size” our operations and we are currently considering a range of operating possibilities which are yet to be confirmed," added Mr Godfrey.
Coinciding with Virgin Blue's order, Embraer will bring an EMBRAER 190 aircraft to Australia later this month for a national demonstration tour, including a roadshow for Virgin Blue staff throughout the country.
As of September 30, 2006, Embraer had delivered 184 E-Jets to customers in Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Finland, Poland, India, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador and Panama.
“We are delighted that Virgin Blue has selected our E-Jets,” said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer Executive Vice-President, Airline Market.
“It is particularly satisfying to know that our technologically advanced and fuel efficient E-Jets fit the bill for this ‘New World Carrier’ who is once again poised to change the airline landscape in Australia and the South Pacific. “
The EMBRAER 190s ordered by the Virgin Blue Holdings group have a maximum range of 2,300 nautical miles, or 4,260 kilometres, enabling them to fly with a full payload from Sydney to anywhere in Australia, or beyond to New Zealand and a range of destinations throughout the Pacific. The EMBRAER 190 seating configuration can range from 98 to 114 seats.
The smaller EMBRAER 170s can fly 2,000 nautical miles, or 3,706 kilometres, enabling them to operate from Sydney to anywhere on Australia’s eastern seaboard, as far north as Darwin, or from Adelaide or central Australia to Perth, as well as from eastern Australia to New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. The EMBRAER 170 seating configuration can range from 70 to 80 seats.
Virgin Blue's E-Jets also will include extensive use of new weight-saving materials, fly-by-wire electronic control and new-technology fuel efficient engines reducing both fuel burn and exhaust emissions – a vital consideration in Virgin Blue’s selection of new aircraft.
In addition, the E-Jets meet the most stringent restrictions on aircraft noise, reducing noise around airports and beneath flight paths, as well as minimising cabin noise levels for passengers.
The Tradingroom article states that DJ will be able to expand to in the Pacific and NZ, maybe this could mean some NZ routes in the future. Would certainly give NZ and QF a run for its money in New Zealand
Don't forget to check out my youtube movies in my profile!
Antares From Australia, joined Jun 2004, 1402 posts, RR: 42 Reply 14, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 8128 times:
777ER,
I mentioned last week that this would come first and that the other deal seems to be bouncing around a bit if the static I'm picking up is well founded. I'm pretty certain that Toll will be right behind a long haul decision very soon, but I'm not sure they have done the deal one way or the other, and I suspect they don't care as long the a deal gets done on their terms. Keep in mind Toll has said publicly it wants a freight airline too, and it is putting freight firmly in the frame for the boys and girls at Virgin Blue.
Everything I've read about the Embraer seems like it is going to be a great alternative to a Dash anything but there also must be a Qantas response to this coming, and only then will we see the full picture.
Jetfuel From Australia, joined Jan 2005, 904 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 8070 times:
..."enabling them to fly with a full payload from Sydney to anywhere in Australia, or beyond to New Zealand and a range of destinations throughout the Pacific"
umm how our they going to fly over the Tasman. Is the E-jet ETOPS approved?
Apart from that I see some great routes for this bird.
Remember Virgin Blue is not a real pure LCC anymore. It's Qantas' only competitor on the domestic routes
Antares From Australia, joined Jun 2004, 1402 posts, RR: 42 Reply 18, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 7949 times:
777ER,
Easy to miss. It was soon after your post under 'Virgin Blue Update'. No criticism either. A forum is where people exchange what they have heard etc and you seem to have good sources. I've put it at the end of the message.
Antares
777ER, According to pilot rumours the short haul order will be first, and perhaps within days, as negotiations are at an advanced stage. Antares
Posted by Antares on Friday October 27, 2006 at 09:39
Flyjetstar From Australia, joined Feb 2006, 925 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 7883 times:
Quoting Antares (Reply 14): Everything I've read about the Embraer seems like it is going to be a great alternative to a Dash anything but there also must be a Qantas response to this coming, and only then will we see the full picture.
Any idea what the Qantas response will be? Will it involve new aircraft similar to E Jet or bringing back QF to what are now JQ routes.
Quoting 777ER (Reply 12):
NZ domestic is third on DJs list.
I assume that would be a distant third. What would be gained by entering our market? QF and NZ have it tied up so what room is there for a third airline. If Australia can't handle three I assume we can't. Would we see the departure of QF and QF using NZ to feed QF flights? QF domestic is really a token operation.
Flyjetstar From Australia, joined Feb 2006, 925 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 7801 times:
Quoting 777ER (Reply 21): I could see DJ operating ROT-ZQN, WLG-ZQN, WLG-CHC and a few others. I can see JQ A320s operating domestic here
I don't think those routes have enough traffic on them to sustain a DJ operation. And a JQ A320's seem like overkill especially when NZ has a better schedule and the market domination with its 733's.
It'll require out of the box thinking from both DJ and JQ if their domestic operation was going to give NZ a shake up it so desperately needs.
Gemuser From Australia, joined Nov 2003, 3054 posts, RR: 5 Reply 24, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 7754 times:
Quoting Jetfuel (Reply 16): umm how our they going to fly over the Tasman. Is the E-jet ETOPS approved?
You dont really need ETOPS for trans Tasman PROVIDED your aircraft can use LDH (lord Howe Is) & NLK (Norfolk Is) and possiabley you only need NLK. I assume the E-jets can use at lest NLK if not both. Of course you have to route via the required distance from the islands.
BTW the ETOPS database on the kls2 GC mapper is inacceurate at 60 min ETOPS, see notice on site. SYD-LDH =425nm, LDH-NLK=484nm & NLK-AKL=589nm. None of those require ETOPS. SYD-NLK=907nm probably not ETOPS.
777ER From New Zealand, joined Dec 2003, 9860 posts, RR: 23 Reply 25, posted (3 years 3 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 7718 times:
Quoting Flyjetstar (Reply 22): I don't think those routes have enough traffic on them to sustain a DJ operation.
All DJ needs over here is the EMB170/175
Don't forget to check out my youtube movies in my profile!
26 Jetfuel: Thankyou. Makes for some interesting routes out of say OOL and BNE to NZ. Bne- Mt Isa again maybe? Also Cairns-Darwin and maybe some more WA routes?
27 Antares: I visit Lord Howe occasionally. The runway is little more than 800 metres from memory. A very bad option for any jet airliner I can think of. I don't
28 Emirates777300: Yay Embraers in Australia. To me it would be better than any Dash 8 or Jet Star
29 Emirates777300: With you their. We went on the same route just before Christmas and to do that in a Dash 8 would be rediculus
30 DJ748: I had the same idea, except that they haven't served Mt Isa before. They did look at it, but decided against it. What about PER - Kalgoorlie? They di
31 Sydscott: If an attack on Qantaslink and new destinations is the plan then I'd imagine the Embraers would be perfect for opening up places like Ayers Rock, Ali
32 AJ: I thought they served Mt Isa until January 2002? http://www.virginblue.com.au/about_u...hp?co=vb&artdate=122001#news061201
33 CRJ900: 114 seats in an E190?? In a nice-n-tight 28 inch pitch config, then? Will DJ put in only 100 seats to get away with only 2 FAs? Congrats to Embraer
34 2wingtips: No one else concerned with this announcement? Gee, here we have an LCC, that is now a "new world carrier"(wtf is that?) changing their business model
35 Jasond: I would agree with that certainly on a number of routes. The interesting aspect is that QF may end up not having a viable competing aircraft on these
36 Kevin777: Doubt that it's a new trend to look out for in the LCC world in general... WN, FR, U2, MK and most others have yet to add smaller (or bigger) a/c (no
37 Jogales: From Embraer: Looks great in DJ colors!
39 Jacobin777: Oddly enough, JFK-BOS is only 40 miles more than than SYD-CBR..and B6 is doing quite well on that route with the E-190..so I could see DJ doing well
40 777ER: Wow, that looks cool. I can just picture it now in Pacblue colours
41 Johnnybgoode: Australien regulation requires one cabin attendant for each 36 passengers. the current DJ fleet has 144 (73G, 73W) or 180 (738, 73H) seats, which is
42 Sydscott: The trick would be to get some Federal Government business but the travel account is still administered by Qantas isn't it?? That was why Rex and DJ
43 Antares: I think the LCC tag is turning into a historical oddity. I've heard Godfrey tell a business luncheon years ago that airlines that aren't low cost carr
44 KSUpilot: The E-Jets look great in the DJ livery! Congrats to Embraer on another sale. Seems like the E-Jets are turning into the 21st Century DC-9 (atleast com
45 Tangowhisky: I read a lot of incorrect statements at a.net regarding turboprop efficiency. For the record, as long as turboprops are flying at 20,000 feet, they w
46 Unicorn: Several articles by the Australian newspaper's well connected aviation writer Steve Creedy on this announcement. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au.
47 2wingtips: I agree. I can't see where DJ are going to get 777s from for a 2008 start-up to the US. I think they may have missed the boat and will have to suffic
48 Jbguller: I really hope they don't go for the A346 anytime soon - such a waste of an airliner. Plus 2 reliable engines would save maintenance, and being an LCC
49 Luisca: Congrats to DJ and Embraer I still remember when people said that embraer was late to the 70-90 passenger market and at a disadvantage with Bombardier
50 6thfreedom: MEL-CBR is a definate for this route. DJ picks up a fair number of suits on these flights, but also has to sell lots of cheapies to fill the whole air
51 KSUpilot: Yeah, things really have turned around for them. There is no way that the CRJ-900X is going to be more successful than the E-Jets. In terms of overal
52 Unicorn: Tell that to the numerous airlines that operate the A240-500 quite succesfully. Cathay are quite happy with theirs, as are Virgin Atlantic. The 777 i
54 Antares: People who are in a position to hear rumors much closer to the source than I ever will be have suggested there was nothing either way in the selection
55 NZ107: Actually they aren't but at the moment nothing else can do the HKG-JFK nonstop. Other airlines like it (LH, IB?) but certainly not CX. I would like t
56 Australia1: Would DJ look at routes into ZQN from BNE, NTL, SYD, MEL(or AVV), ADL & even HBA? Or into IVC? Or possibly reintroduce Tasmania/NZ flights?
57 NZ107: ZQN-NTL/ADL/HBA would be very pointless, complete waste of money. There isn't even an CHC-ADL yet, and if there was any flight to ZQN, there would be
58 Australia1: Sorry I should have said, seasonablly to ZQN & IVC. In winter, nobody wants to fly awful Junkstar to CHC & then chnage trminals or overnight at CHC j
59 NZ107: Yeah, but regardless at least you will be getting some customers not heading to ZQN. DUD is logical as the city will attract people for things like u
60 Gemuser: Again - are there enough pax willing to pay enough money for any airline to do that? Seems very, very unlikely. Actually that is the answer to all th
61 Goodbye: Jetstar operates more flights to MCY than DJ, (JQ SYD x 3, MEL x 2, DJ SYD x 2, MEL x 2), and both airlines' flights are always full, so I don't see
62 Planemanofnz: I think this is almost definate now. I mean, why the 3 'side' orders for the smaller 170 varient? I see 2 being based in AKL for domestic routes and
63 Aussie_: I think you'll find the "side order" for the E170s is for Canberra-Sydney. That's my guess anyway.
64 SunriseValley: At the risk of sounding like "I told you so" , I advocated on this list about 9 months ago that NZ would be better served by the E195 than the 737-300
65 777ER: DJ could do well out of ZQN, NZ and QF already operate trans-tasman out of ZQN thou how about say WLG-PER or something with B73GERS? QF and NZ alread
66 NZ107: Sticking to the main centres will surely give more payload, IMO. There are no flights to MEL or BNE yet and I would definitely say they will fly them
67 Australia1: Lots of operators in & around ZQN are screaming for more nonstop services. There are a few nonstops a week from BNE, MEL & SYD, but not enough & thin
68 777ER: International Terminal at IVC? IVC only has a storage shed for the odd tasman diversion, and then they need to get MAF and customs from either CHC, D
69 Aerokiwi: Nice to see the small town parochial spirit of the "rest" of New Zealand still alive and kicking Here's why someone may want to fly to IVC... Nope
70 Antares: This has almost nothing to do with New Zealand and almost everything to do with taking customers off Qantaslink in my opinion. I'll bet Qantas is of t
71 Aerokiwi: True. We're jumping the gun here a bit. The EJets are too expensive to put on touristy routes, if what I've read about their economics is true, so I'
72 DJ738: ...I've been quietly watching this thread and thinking EXACTLY the same thing... Wait for the launch of VirginBlue Regional everyone...
73 PPVRA: Well, many tourist destinations are far and there is no better way to get there than a jet. Not right-sizing your aircraft to the market size will br
74 Australia1: so if new aircraft, whenever they arrive, are sued on busy routes like SYD/MEL, BNE/MEL, BNE/MEL then that will mean freeing up 737's. SYD/CBR is alwa
75 Jasond: I am surprised no-one responded to that one, Sydscott. Beyond the desire to actually seen them in service here is it not beyond the realms of possibi
76 777ER: If it means WLG still has its normal schedule, but with more frequency, ie 6am, 12pm ish 4pm ish etc to better suit travellers then its excellent. Wh
77 NZ107: Then you haven't been on other windy roads then. I did this last month - only really one main windy part but compared to other areas (Desert Road, Ta
78 Australia1: IVC have just spent $millions on runway extension (ok only NZD$ but still) so they must be desperate for international or even domestic jets service.
79 Gemuser: QF do not & never have "owned" any B717s, they were ALL leased and ALL are now off lease, except maybe for one which has done some ad hoc work for JQ
80 Australia1: So ones sitting around BNE are owned by leasing companies, who must be having problems leasing them ??? You'd think they'd be a lot cheaper than new
81 Gemuser: Yep Cheaper to what? They'd be cheaper to buy lease because they are5-8 years old, not new. They would probable NOT be cheaper to operate and definat
82 Hardiwv: Any dates set for the demonstration tour? Will it include BNE? Interesting, that Virgin Blue will now have an edge over competition, especially in th
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