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Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
Just wondered why VS are operating flight 814P from Manila to Heathrow. Just spotted an A340 600 doing this unusual route.
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- MesaFlyGuy
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RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
I don't know the reason, but now I see it is going to MAN, so maybe a charter? Or maintenance in Manila and a new coat of paint in Manchester?
RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
Probably ferry back after maintenace with LH Technik.
RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
vs has its Airbus fleet serviced in Manilla.
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- sevenheavy
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RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
This particular flight is operated by G-VGOA, which has been in MNL for its end of lease check. Its going to MAN to be painted in an all white scheme and then returned to its lessor.
G-VATL will make the trip to MNL shortly for the same reason.
All of VS's A340's go to MNL for their heavy mx checks
G-VATL will make the trip to MNL shortly for the same reason.
All of VS's A340's go to MNL for their heavy mx checks
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- Bongodog1964
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RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting sevenheavy (Reply 4): All of VS's A340's go to MNL for their heavy mx checks |
I think the 744's do as well. Good to see SRB respecting the Union flags he had painted on the wing fences and supporting British workers.
RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
I saw a VS 346 at MNL yesterday outside the hangar.
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- SelseyBill
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RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 5): Good to see SRB respecting the Union flags he had painted on the wing fences and supporting British workers |
You beat me to it ! Sometimes he needs reminding of some pontifications he has made in the past.
Next thing we'll hear is SRB wanting to use those LHR slots he got for domestic UK 'Little Red' flights on additional intercontinental departures ! We all remember him arguing how vital and important these slots were to maintain competition on UK routes from LHR now don't we ?
As a hugely successful British businessman and entrepreneur, I should admire just about everything SRB does, but sometimes I find his hypocrisy quite stunning.
Back on topic, in this instance is it the responsibility of the lessor or airline returning the aircraft to paint/ re-furb the aircraft for the next user ?
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- sevenheavy
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RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 5): I think the 744's do as well. |
Only the A340's go to MNL. The B744 have always gone to AMS or FRA for heavy checks.
| Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 5): I think the 744's do as well. Good to see SRB respecting the Union flags he had painted on the wing fences and supporting British workers. |
I didnt't know it was ever specifically in support of UK workers. I thought it was about being the "flag carrier" when BA changed their livery but fair enough.
In fairness they do everything up to the heaviest checks in hangars they either built or acquired at both LHR and LGW, and they hired a lot of engineers in the process. In any case, I believe that only BA can perform "D" checks on B744 in the UK, and no-one in the UK does A346 checks. I'm happy to be corrected though.
Regardless, its a cheap shot to rip Virgin apart for the small amount (one check every 18 months or so per aircraft, a few % of the total man hours) of work they do send overseas.
Ironically, although not surprisingly, only weeks ago VS were being bashed for starting domestic UK routes, employing a few hundred UK staff in the process, and presumably contributing to the UK economy.........I'll wait for the "well they'll all be out of a job in 6 months retort". Shouldn't take long.......
RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting sevenheavy (Reply 8): Only the A340's go to MNL. The B744 have always gone to AMS or FRA for heavy checks. |
AFAIK only 744 C-checks are done at AMS/FRA. The D-checks are done at Xiamen (TAECO).
BTW there is no D-check facility at AMS anymore. All the KLM 747s go to Xiamen or Kuala Lumpur.
[Edited 2013-08-11 13:34:15]
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- Bongodog1964
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RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting sevenheavy (Reply 8): Regardless, its a cheap shot to rip Virgin apart for the small amount (one check every 18 months or so per aircraft, a few % of the total man hours) of work they do send overseas. |
Why is it a cheap shot ? We are talking about an airline owner who wraps himself in the union jack as a great patriot, but sends work offshore, and then sends the profits off to a carribbean tax haven. A true hypocrite if there ever was one. A D check is not a small amount of work
RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 10): We are talking about an airline owner who wraps himself in the union jack as a great patriot, but sends work offshore, |
Who also needs / wants to make money. Offshore it is. Do you think he actually knows that his aeroplanes are sent to MNL for heavy checks? Do you even think he's signed it off? Do you think he actually runs the airline?
LH / BA / DL etc...blah blah do similar.
Even more hypocritical are those who wrap themselves up in union flags that are made in China. Or those who say "buy British" while driving Japanese cars, using Korean computers and wearing clothes made in India.
Same reason VS send their jets to the far east...cheaper...better...good enough quality...less unions...
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- Virginblue4
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RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 10): |
I agree with the other poster, it's an extremely cheap shot.
For a start, he doesn't have anything to do with the day to day operations of the airline anymore. Virgin also need to make money and if it is cheaper to send it elsewhere, why not? Face it, this particular thing can be done cheaper and at high quality in foreign countries compared to the UK. Can you 'D' checks even be carried out in the UK?
And how do you know him wearing the Union Jack isn't because he's proud to be British? It doesn't mean everything he does has to be done here. Think of the thousands of people he is employing, the investments made, the millions upon millions of taxes that his companies have paid. All this contributes to the UK economy. Much more than any one of us here have. So yes, it was a cheap shot.
RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting sevenheavy (Reply 8): Regardless, its a cheap shot to rip Virgin apart for the small amount (one check every 18 months or so per aircraft, a few % of the total man hours) of work they do send overseas. |
Cheapshot indeed... and how many jobs in the UK does VS support? Certainly alot more than they outsource overseas... given they have moved their call centre back t the UK (Swansea) and have around 5,000 employees.
RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting SelseyBill (Reply 7): Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 5):Good to see SRB respecting the Union flags he had painted on the wing fences and supporting British workers You beat me to it ! Sometimes he needs reminding of some pontifications he has made in the past. |
Ever stop and think that, since many (if not all) of VS A340-600 are leased, not owned, that perhaps it isn't up to VS where the end of lease maintenance (or any major maintenance for that matter) is carried out? That perhaps the lessor has specified that in the contract(s)?
RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting phunc (Reply 11): Even more hypocritical are those who wrap themselves up in union flags that are made in China. Or those who say "buy British" while driving Japanese cars, using Korean computers and wearing clothes made in India. |
I'd challenge you to find me a computer not manufactured in an Asian country. As consumers, we're faced with these choices. The harsh reality is that if we chose not to buy foreign-produced goods, we'd have a multitude less options to pick from.
| Quoting DeltaB717 (Reply 14): Ever stop and think that, since many (if not all) of VS A340-600 are leased, not owned, that perhaps it isn't up to VS where the end of lease maintenance (or any major maintenance for that matter) is carried out? That perhaps the lessor has specified that in the contract(s)? |
Can anyone with knowledge of the leasing system confirm this as a possibility?
RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
I saw it parked while departing MNL on Fri.
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- Bongodog1964
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RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting phunc (Reply 11): Do you think he actually knows that his aeroplanes are sent to MNL for heavy checks? Do you even think he's signed it off? Do you think he actually runs the airline? |
If he isn't in control of the airline he would do well to tone down the big publicity bashes, as for not knowing where the heavy maintenance on the fleet is done, I would hope as Chairman and 51% owner he would have an idea.
I fully appreciate that there are times when it is necessary to outsource sometimes form around the World, its the hypocrisy however that grates, and with SRB its there in buckets. A man who likes to paint his slogans on the fuselage until its time for him to do the very same thing.
RE: Virgin Flight .. Manila To LHR
| Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 17): I fully appreciate that there are times when it is necessary to outsource sometimes form around the World, its the hypocrisy however that grates, and with SRB its there in buckets. A man who likes to paint his slogans on the fuselage until its time for him to do the very same thing. |
And there lies the problem with SRB....
Years ago, before VS had their own hangar at LHR,
I recall seeing a VS 747 parked in the first bay of the BA hanger where the road used to cross.
It was a lovely summers day, doors wide open....
Either VS had leased the Hangar space, with VS engineers doing the work, or they had sub contracted the work out to BA, but the Best bit was the work itself....
They were adding the titles......"No Way AA/BA to the aircraft"
Sure BA weren't going to turn down the work, considering the irony of it all....
BTW, this thread is going way off topic....
the only question asked was why the MNL-LHR flight, not Bransons scruples.....lol
[Edited 2013-08-12 07:08:17]
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