Manni From South Korea, joined Nov 2001, 4221 posts, RR: 23 Posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 944 times:
Virgin express has already announced that it will start flying to 4 new destinations from november 12th. This results in 12 daily flights.4 to Geneva, 3 to Zurich and Goteborg and 2 to Stockholm. Another 10+ destinations might be added this month.
Is there any news were they are going to get the additional aircraft from to operate all this flights? What aircraft type they might use for this? Perhaps the A320s from Virgin Atlantic left unemployed after the cancelation of the LHR-ATH flights? I understand that also Virgin Blue is expanding, so the Virgin Express aircraft leased to Virgin Blue wont be returned any time soon I guess.
LH744 From Belgium, joined Oct 2001, 302 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 876 times:
Virgin Atlantic only has one single A321 registered G-VATH, I guess you mean the four unemployed aircraft of Virgin Sun (3 A320 and 1 A321) that were supposed to go back to their lessors.
But I don´t think that a low fare carrier will intergrate another type of aircraft, much too expensive!!!
Slz396 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 864 times:
What about the Virgin Express flights that were flown on Sabena slots? I think this was LHR, Rome and Madrid if I recall it right.
At persent I know they continue as planned, but the slots still belong to Sabena, and were transferred to DAT last week.
The contract between SN and Virgin Express is no longer valid because of the bankruptcy of the first, so as soon as the new Sabena takes to the skies, it can take over these destinations from VEX.
I think this is the main reason Virgin Express is introducing new routes that quickly; i.e. to prevent their planes from standing idle in a few days...
BelugaBoy From Belgium, joined Mar 2001, 139 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 859 times:
I think Virgin Express leased out some B737's to CityBird and Sobelair. Maybe they come back now that CityBird is bankrupt and Sobelair maybe start using ex-Sabena planes ( ??? )
I can imagine that in the near future several ex Sabena B737 will become available.
What happened to other 737's from Citybird. I think they operated some brand new 737-800 . It's posible that they are back to Boeing in te mean time. I don't know.
I think Virgin Express wil stick with on type B737 ( -300's and -400's maybe some -800's ) ( at least try to ) because that is one of the facts were they can save some money .
New destinations ?? Maybe Dublin, now Sabena has gone and Aer Lingus on the edge to collapse ?
Airblue From San Marino, joined May 2001, 1825 posts, RR: 14 Reply 6, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 841 times:
I think even if they have to give back the slots to DAT the only problem will be for the LHR slots, cause it won't be difficult to get new slots in FCO or MAD.
Interesting is their shedule in Milan LIN. They have 2 daily flights, but due to the limitations in number of flights from LIN to European capitals one of them was operated with Virgin Express Irealand Ltd code before they closed it and now with Virgin Atlantic code.
3 daily to Goteborg?? Is it a so important route?? More than ARN??
A320-Addict From Belgium, joined Apr 2001, 250 posts, RR: 7 Reply 7, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 834 times:
The Bru-Gotheburg route is indeed an important route.
A lot of business pax travelling on this route, so it's a route with a big potential, which has always had a high load-factor at Sabena.
Some things people have to realize here.
1. Sobelair will NOT take over any ex-sabena planes because most of them were leased. Certainly no 737 because those planes were already sold, and just leased back!
2. Virgin express did take over one 737-400 from citybird. It is still flying in the green background, but with just in white Virgin-Express on it.
3. Virgin express will not hire any crews or buy any aircraft in the near future because; their daily services they conducted on behalf of Sabena are gone as well.
They are down to 3 Barcelona flights a day iso 6.
Same thing with the Rome flights as well as the London Hetrow onces ( I don't know the frequencies of those, but should look it up.)
So it is not more than normal that Virgin-Express opens new Destinantions, because otherwise, their planes would be idled as well!
Bestwestern From Ireland, joined Sep 2000, 6431 posts, RR: 58 Reply 8, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 817 times:
You have to remember that many SN passengers were using BRU as a hub, so we may see a lot of these point to point carriers not filling aircraft. VEX would be better offering twice daily flights to these destinations, and staying clear of FR potential routes, such as Goteberg.
Bestwestern From Ireland, joined Sep 2000, 6431 posts, RR: 58 Reply 10, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 790 times:
Sas, Virgin express' friend (not - ever since VEX brought them to the EU for anti-competitive behaviour) have just announced BRU - GOT x2 daily services...
Lets hope there are enough passengers to go around.
Airblue From San Marino, joined May 2001, 1825 posts, RR: 14 Reply 11, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 783 times:
I think on the BRU-GOT route the main competitor for VEX are not the SK fares (I don't think SK could offer the Virgin cheap fares), but more the EuroBonus FF programme, from the fact that as I understand this is mainly a business traveller route, so businessmen use to be also FF and from the fact that companies use to pay the air-ticket they have a preference for an airlines who offer them more service and ,of couse miles.
TransSwede From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 993 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 761 times:
I think Sabena was flying 5x daily BRU-GOT, and now VEX (new 3x daily) and SAS (new 2x daily) have moved in to fill the void.
I suppose the same thing is happening on other (ex-) Sabena routes. Sabena II/Air Belgium/DAT+ better start up soon, or all of Sabena's market share will be gone.
BelugaBoy From Belgium, joined Mar 2001, 139 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 734 times:
You are probably right about the flights they operated for sabena but they didn't cancel all flights ( just less frequency ). That is probbaly enough to do the new 4 destinations already announced but ...
Furthermore they are talking up to 12 extra new destinations in the comming months , will they be able to serve those with the number of planes they currently have ?
BNE From Australia, joined Mar 2000, 3156 posts, RR: 13 Reply 14, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 730 times:
It is surprising how lucky the Virgin group of companies have bankrupted 2 competitors.
Ansett failed partly because of Virgin Blue in Australia, and now Sabena has now failed allowing Virgin Express to grow.
As seen in Australia probably will take a while for Virgin Express to add planes and routes. Its not that easy just to expand your company overnight.
LJ From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 4143 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (11 years 6 months 2 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 715 times:
BelugaBoy, what do you think about VEX leasing all ex SN B737's currently stored at BRU?
Anyway about the slots. According to Bloomberg the independent slot coordinator has already begun allocating ex-Sabena slots to other airlines. This means DAT 2 must be set up quickly if they want to have another go.
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