Virgin Australia CEO says vaccination rollout, border certainty behind increase in flights
Announcing Virgin Australia will launch 700 extra weekly domestic flights and create 250 new jobs, the airline’s CEO also made a concession about her earlier comments.
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Virgin Australia has announced more than 700 extra weekly domestic flights and 250 new jobs as part of their new domestic growth plan.
This next phase of growth, aimed at connecting more communities, will include five new direct routes and increased frequencies by 40 per cent to key Queensland destinations.
Virgin Australia group chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka said Virgin Australia was supporting more than 6000 jobs.
“Growing confidence in the community, thanks to the vaccination rollout and domestic borders staying largely open, means the time is right for us to bring back jobs and put more aircraft in the skies,” she said.
“And for our valued business customers we are pleased to be offering more frequent services on our triangle routes between Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne and to key centres across Australia.”
Ms Hrdlicka said the jobs would go to pilots, ground handling crew and IT workers.
“There is a 30 per cent increase in flights into Queensland.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Michael McCormack said Virgin Australia was on the flight path to success after a rough year.
“Today we talk about new routes, new planes and new opportunities but we also talk about people,” he said.
He thanked Virgin Australia employees for their work throughout the pandemic.
Ms Hrdlicka acknowledged her comments on Monday about accepting that people would die when borders were opened were hurtful to some people.
“Today I also acknowledge that my comments on Monday were receiving a lot of commentary,” she said.
“The vulnerable need to be protected before international borders open.”
She said people who wanted the opportunity to be vaccinated should have the chance to before international borders opened.
Mr McCormack said Australians could place their confidence in domestic tourism.
“It’s a brilliant and bonza day, not just for Virgin but for the airline industry.”
He said the Federal Government would continue to assess what kind of support the aviation sector needed.
Mr McCormack said he was satisfied with Ms Hrdlicka’s explanation for her comments on Monday.
Ms Hrdlicka said the announcements were assuming the Queensland border remained opened.
“As long as domestic borders stay open the worst of the impacts of the pandemic is behind us.”
She said the announcement had been planned for several weeks.
It comes after the more than 220 cabin crew were announced to return to the skies front discontinued international services.
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