Virgin Australia Regional Airlines is an Australian
regional airline
A regional airline is a general classification of airline which typically operates scheduled passenger air service, using regional aircraft, between communities lacking sufficient demand or infrastructure to attract mainline flights. In North ...
based in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, servicing key towns in the state of
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
. The airline also flies interstate to destinations such as
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
Darwin,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
and
Alice Springs
Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...
. Formerly known as Skywest, in April 2013 the airline was purchased by
Virgin Australia Holdings
Virgin Australia Holdings Limited is the holding company that owns and operates Virgin Australia, Virgin Australia International Airlines and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines. It previously operated Pacific Blue Airlines, Tigerair Australia a ...
as its new regional offshoot. On 21 April 2020, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines' parent company, Virgin Australia Holdings went into voluntary administration due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
History
![Skywest A320-200 in Perth Domestic Airport](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Skywest_A320-200_in_Perth_Domestic_Airport.jpg)
Early years
Virgin Australia Regional was formed in 1963 as Carnarvon Air Taxis flying charter flights with small
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
aircraft out of
Carnarvon, Western Australia
Carnarvon is a coastal town situated approximately north of Perth, in Western Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Gascoyne River on the Indian Ocean. The popular Shark Bay world heritage area lies to the south of the town and the Ningaloo Re ...
. In 1979 it changed its name to Skywest Aviation and moved to
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
's
Jandakot Airport
Jandakot Airport is a general aviation (GA) airport located in Jandakot, Western Australia, about south-southwest of the "general aviation area of the Airport West precinct" at Perth Airport. Jandakot airport opened in 1963. From 1 July 1998 ...
. In 1980 Skywest Airlines was formed (ICAO code OZW), based at
Perth Airport
Perth Airport is an international, domestic and general aviation airport serving Perth, the capital city of Western Australia.
It is the fourth busiest airport in Australia measured by passenger movements and falls within the boundaries of ...
, and acquired Stillwell Airlines and its routes; the combined fleet included 39 aircraft, making it the second largest commuter airline in Australia at the time. The Skywest Airlines fleet included a mix of general aviation types and small airliners including
GAF N-24 Nomads,
Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante
The Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante (English: ''pioneer'') is a Brazilian general purpose 15–21 passenger twin-turboprop light transport aircraft designed by Embraer for military and civil use.
The EMB 110 was designed by the French engineer Max Ho ...
s,
Beechcraft King Air 200s and
Fairchild SA-227 Metro IIIs, as well as smaller types such as
Cessna 182 Skylane
The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engined light airplane built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats in the baggage area.
Introduced in 1956, the 182 has been produced in a ...
s and
Piper Aztec
The Piper PA-23, named Apache and later Aztec, is an American four- to six-seat twin-engined light aircraft aimed at the general-aviation market. The United States Navy and military forces in other countries also used it in small numbers. Origin ...
s.
In 1982, the controlling companies merged Skywest Airlines with
Transwest Airlines
Transwest Airlines was a commuter airline operating from its base in Jandakot Airport, Western Australia since 1979 until 1982 when it was amalgamated into Skywest Airlines (Australia).
History
The airline had its beginning in Carnarvon, W ...
. At the time Skywest operated 16 aircraft and TransWest 25.
Then in 1983, it was proposed to merge Skywest with
East-West Airlines, both were owned by the Devereaux group. The merger did not eventuate, but east–west operated flights in Western Australia on Skywest's behalf. In 1987 Skywest lost the Government
Coastwatch
The Australian Coastal Surveillance Organisation, also known as Coastwatch, was an operational division of the Australian Customs Service and the de facto Australian coast guard service. The former Coastwatch Division is now part of the Austr ...
contract, which severely weakened the business. The company was bought out by the Perron group and then on-sold shortly thereafter to
TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
/
News Limited
News Corp Australia is an Australian media conglomerate and wholly owned subsidiary of the American News Corp. One of Australia's largest media conglomerates, News Corp Australia employs more than 8,000 staff nationwide and approximately 3,0 ...
and began operating under the
Ansett banner. The east–west aircraft were divested for operations in Queensland and were later absorbed into Ansett. At this time, Skywest was operating most of its services with five
BAe Jetstream 31
The British Aerospace Jetstream is a small twin- turboprop airliner, with a pressurised fuselage, developed as the ''Jetstream 31'' from the earlier Handley Page Jetstream. A larger version of the Jetstream was also manufactured, the Britis ...
s.
In 1998, Ansett introduced
Fokker 50
The Fokker 50 is a turboprop-powered airliner, designed as an improved version of the successful Fokker F27 Friendship. The Fokker 60 is a stretched freighter version of the Fokker 50. Both aircraft were manufactured and supported by Dutch airc ...
s into Skywest service.
Development since the 2000s
The airline continued to be owned by Ansett Australia, and operated flights on behalf of Ansett until the parent's demise in 2002. Skywest was then successfully purchased by private investors. In 2004 it was the subject of a
hostile, but ultimately successful, takeover attempt by Singapore-based investment company CaptiveVision Capital. This takeover succeeded in gaining a majority stake. On 8 February 2007, news broke that the airline may be the target of a tie-up with Singapore-based
Tiger Airways
Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd, operating as Tigerair, was a budget airline headquartered in Singapore. It operated services to regional destinations in Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, Taiwan, China and India from its main base at Singapore Changi ...
, although no business arrangements were ever concluded. Between 2004 and 2012 Skywest Airlines was entirely owned by CaptiveVision Capital which in turn was a subsidiary of ASX and London Stock Exchange AIM market-quoted Skywest Airlines.
Since 2004 under Skywest Airlines ownership, the fleet expanded from seven aircraft to 18 aircraft. Skywest's first
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a series of Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus.
The A320 was launched in March 1984, Maiden flight, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air F ...
was registered in April 2010. It was delivered Perth on 23 October 2010 and operated charter services between Perth and Cloudbreak for
Fortescue Metals Group
Fortescue Metals Group Limited (often referred to as Fortescue Metals Group, FMG, or simply Fortescue) is an Australian iron ore company. As of 2017, Fortescue is the fourth-largest iron ore producer in the world. The company has holdings of ...
. Skywest announced that it had optioned a second A320 on 12 May 2011.
On 10 January 2011, it was announced that
Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia, the trading name of Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd, is an Australian-based airline. It is the largest airline by fleet size to use the Virgin Group, Virgin brand. It commenced services on 31 August 2000 as ''Virgin Blue ...
had established a 10-year alliance under which Skywest would operate up to 18 turboprops in the bigger carrier's colours. The alliance with the Perth-based airline was part of new push by Virgin Australia into regional Australia. The agreement saw the airlines codeshare on some of each other's flights. Virgin Australia and Skywest customers also could earn and redeem frequent flyer points on each other's networks. The aircraft were leased from plc () with the first four arriving in 2011.
In April 2012,
Virgin Australia Holdings
Virgin Australia Holdings Limited is the holding company that owns and operates Virgin Australia, Virgin Australia International Airlines and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines. It previously operated Pacific Blue Airlines, Tigerair Australia a ...
purchased 10% of Skywest Airlines, followed by a full takeover bid on 30 October 2012. It had received in principle support from the Board but the takeover would require shareholder and regulatory approval. On 11 April 2013, Virgin Australia Holdings completed its 100% acquisition of Skywest Airlines. From 7 May 2013, the use of the Skywest brand was discontinued and the airline became part of the Virgin Australia brand, however it continues to operate under its current Air Operator's Certificate and its own management team.
Destinations
Scheduled flights
As of July 2018, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines operated scheduled flights to the following destinations:
*
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
**
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
–
Adelaide Airport
Adelaide Airport , also known as Adelaide International Airport, is the principal airport of Adelaide, South Australia and the List of the busiest airports in Australia, fifth-busiest airport in Australia, servicing 8.5 million passenger ...
*
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
**
Darwin –
Darwin International Airport
Darwin International Airport is the busiest airport serving the Northern Territory and the tenth busiest airport in Australia. It is the only airport serving Darwin.
The airport is located in Darwin's northern suburbs, from Darwin city ...
**
Alice Springs
Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...
–
Alice Springs Airport
Alice Springs Airport is an Australian regional airport south of Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The airport was notably involved in Australia's first domestic airline hijacking, and later a suicide attack by a former airline employee wh ...
*
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
**
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
–
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport , colloquially known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne, and the second busiest airport in Australia. It opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is t ...
*
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
**
Broome –
Broome International Airport
Broome International Airport is a regional airport located west of the Broome GPO, Western Australia.
Broome International Airport is the regional hub of the northwestern part of Western Australia. It is considered the gateway to the Kimber ...
**
Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...
–
Kalgoorlie Airport
**
Karratha –
Karratha Airport
Karratha Airport is an airport in Karratha, Western Australia, Karratha, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The airport is from Karratha and south of Dampier, Western Australia, Dampier.
History
At the beginning of the iron ore ind ...
**
Kununurra –
Kununurra Airport
The East Kimberley Regional Airport , locally known as the Kununurra Airport, is an airport in Kununurra, Western Australia. The airport is west of the town. Heavy wet seasons often result in this area being cut off from essential outside ser ...
**
Newman –
Newman Airport
**
Onslow –
Onslow Airport
**
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
–
Perth Airport
Perth Airport is an international, domestic and general aviation airport serving Perth, the capital city of Western Australia.
It is the fourth busiest airport in Australia measured by passenger movements and falls within the boundaries of ...
Main Hub – T2 & T1
**
Port Hedland
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...
–
Port Hedland International Airport
Port Hedland International Airport is an international airport serving Port Hedland, Western Australia. The airport is south-east of Port Hedland and from South Hedland and is owned by the Town of Port Hedland Council. It is an important ai ...
*
Indian Ocean Territories
**
Christmas Island
Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...
–
Christmas Island Airport
**
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
)
, anthem = "''Advance Australia Fair''"
, song_type =
, song =
, image_map = Australia on the globe (Cocos (Keeling) Islands special) (Southeast Asia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
, map_caption = ...
–
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Airport
Terminated destinations
*
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
**
Denpasar
Denpasar (; Balinese script, Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ) is the capital of Bali and the main gateway to the island. The city is also a hub for other cities in the Lesser Sunda Islands.
With the rapid growth of the tourism industry in Bali ...
,
Bali
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
–
I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport
I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Internasional I Gusti Ngurah Rai) , is the main airport in Bali, located 13 km south of Denpasar. Ngurah Rai is the second busiest airport in Indonesia after Soekarno–Hatta Int ...
*
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
**
Albany –
Albany Airport
**
Busselton
Busselton is a city in the South West region of the state of Western Australia approximately south-west of Perth. Busselton has a long history as a popular holiday destination for Western Australians; however, the closure of the Busselton ...
–
Busselton Airport
Busselton Margaret River Airport , formerly known as Busselton Regional Airport and alternatively known as Busselton-Margaret River Regional Airport, is located in the Busselton suburb of Yalyalup, Western Australia, Yalyalup, from the Busselt ...
**
Carnarvon –
Carnarvon Airport
**
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
–
RAAF Curtin
RAAF Base Curtin, also sometimes RAAF Curtin is a joint use Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base and civil airport located southeast of the town of Derby on the north coast of Western Australia in Australia. As it is one of the ...
**
Esperance –
Esperance Airport
Esperance Airport is an airport in Esperance, Western Australia. The airport is northwest of the city, near the locality of Gibson.
Airlines and destinations
Qantas and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines previously operated flights fro ...
**
Exmouth
Exmouth is a harbor, port town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and seaside resort, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe and southeast of Exeter.
In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the List of town ...
–
Learmonth Airport
Learmonth Airport is a civil airport, co-located on the site of RAAF Base Learmonth, a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base. The airport is located near the town of Exmouth on the north-west coast of Western Australia, in Australia.
Estab ...
**
Geraldton
Geraldton (Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth.
At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...
–
Geraldton Airport
Geraldton Airport is an airport located east of Geraldton, Western Australia, in Moonyoonooka along the Geraldton – Mount Magnet Road. On average, from 2013 to 2017, more than 120,000 passengers used the airport annually. Refers to "Regul ...
**
Kalbarri –
Kalbarri Airport
**
Monkey Mia
Monkey Mia is a popular tourist destination located about 900 km north of Perth, Western Australia. The reserve is 25 km northeast of the town of Denham in the Shark Bay Marine Park and World Heritage Site.
The main attraction are t ...
–
Shark Bay Airport
Monkey Mia Airport is an airport located on the Peron Peninsula within the Shark Bay World Heritage Site in the Gascoyne region serving Monkey Mia, a resort in Western Australia, and the nearby town of Denham.
Airlines and destinations
S ...
**
Ravensthorpe Ravensthorpe may refer to any of the following places.
England
*Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury in West Yorkshire
**Ravensthorpe railway station, Dewsbury
*Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire
*Ravensthorpe, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire
*Ravensthorpe, an histor ...
–
Ravensthorpe Airport
Ravensthorpe Airport is an airport near Ravensthorpe, Western Australia. The airport is located south of Ravensthorpe and north of Hopetoun. The $5 million airport was opened on 5 December 2004, when the first flight landed. The airport is m ...
**
Paraburdoo –
Paraburdoo Airport
Paraburdoo Airport is an airport serving Paraburdoo, a town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The airport is located northeast of Paraburdoo. It also serves the town of Tom Price, with bus services completing the extra to Tom Pri ...
*
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
**
Cairns
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
–
Cairns Airport
Cairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest ...
**
Townsville
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...
–
Townsville Airport
Townsville Airport is a major Australian regional airport that services the city of Townsville, Queensland. The airport is also known as Townsville International Airport, and Garbutt Airport, a reference to its location in the Townsville sub ...
Since Virgin Australia's take over, two original WA Coastal Network (Skywest) destinations have been cancelled (Exmouth & Busselton) with Albany, Esperance and Ravensthorpe also ending on 27 February 2016.
Contract flights
In addition to scheduled flights, Virgin Australia Regional has contracts with various mining companies to service the burgeoning Western Australian mining industry; via regular
fly-in fly-out
Fly-in fly-out is a method of employing people in remote areas by flying them temporarily to the work site instead of relocating employees and their families permanently. It is often abbreviated to FIFO when referring to employment status. This is ...
air charter flights to remote minesites. These contracts include flights between:
* Perth and West Angelas mine for Rio Tinto
* Perth and Barimunya, also known as Yandi for BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto
* Perth and Coondewanna, also known as Area C, the sister site to Barimunya for BHP Billiton
* Perth and Boolgeeda, also known as Brockman for Rio Tinto
* Busselton and West Angelas for Rio Tinto
* Busselton and Barimunya for Rio Tinto
* Albany and Barimunya for Rio Tinto
* Geraldton and Paraburdoo via Boolgeeda
* Perth and
Argyle
* Perth and Windarling on behalf of Portman Iron Ore
* Perth and The Granites minesite in the
Tanami Desert
The Tanami Desert is a desert in northern Australia, situated in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
It has a rocky terrain with small hills, and cacti. The Tanami was the Northern Territory's final frontier and was not fully explored b ...
on behalf of Newmont Tanami
* Perth and
Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine
The Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine is a nickel mine and hydrometallurgical processing plant located at Bandalup Hill, east of Ravensthorpe, Western Australia.
Built by BHP Billiton, it was closed in January 2009, after less than a year of operation ...
with First Quantum Minerals.
* Various ports in the East Coast of Australia under contract to Virgin Australia commencing 2011.
Skywest previously held a contract to fly staff to
Telfer, however in December 2010 this contract was terminated in favour of a contract with
Alliance Airlines
Alliance Airlines Pty Limited based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia with operational bases in Adelaide, Cairns, Melbourne, Perth, Townsville, Darwin and Rockhampton. Alliance Airlines owns and operates a fleet of Fokker and Embraer aircra ...
.
On 27 April 2012, Skywest finished flying to
Fortescue Dave Forrest Airport
Fortescue Dave Forrest Airport is located about northeast of Fortescue Metals Group's Cloud Break mine in Western Australia.
The airport is served by charter flights from airlines across Western Australia. The airport has the ability to ope ...
(Cloudbreak Airport) for Fortescue Metals group, after losing the contract to
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founded ...
' fly-in-fly-out-charter subsidiary
Network Aviation
Network Aviation is an airline based at Perth Airport, operating regular scheduled and air charter services in support of "fly-in fly-out" mining operations throughout Western Australia. In partnership with subsidiary engineering provider Netw ...
.
International charters
Commencing in 2004, Island Bound Holidays chartered a Skywest Fokker 100 to undertake flights to Bali from
Port Hedland
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...
. In 2010 Skywest commenced operation of scheduled services to Bali from Port Hedland. Skywest also offered flights from
Geraldton
Geraldton (Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth.
At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...
to Bali in 2011.
Fleet
![Virgin_Australia_Fokker_100_VH-FSQ_Perth_2019_(01)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Virgin_Australia_Fokker_100_VH-FSQ_Perth_2019_%2801%29.jpg)
As of November 2022, the Virgin Australia Regional fleet consists of the following aircraft:
The fleet is used significantly in the Australian state of
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, including a number of charter services which support the growing regional centres. Flights to other destinations such as
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
Darwin and
Alice Springs
Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...
also take place. All aircraft are fitted in an all-economy seat layout. Virgin Australia Regional's Airbus A320-200 fleet can often be seen operating flights to and from
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, although the majority of their flights are supporting the growing
Fokker 100
The Fokker 100 is a regional jet produced by Fokker in the Netherlands.
The Fokker 100 is based on the Fokker F28 with a fuselage stretched by to seat up to 109 passengers, up from 85.
It is powered by two newer Rolls-Royce Tay turbofans, ...
network in Western Australia and neighbouring states. Since March 2022, 6 of the 7 A320s that are currently in the fleet were from the now defunct
Tigerair Australia
Tiger Airways Australia Pty Ltd, operating as Tigerair Australia, was an Australian low-cost airline. Founded by Tiger Airways Holdings, it commenced services in the domestic airline market on 23 November 2007 as Tiger Airways Australia. It l ...
, which was a fully owned subsidiary of
Virgin Australia Holdings
Virgin Australia Holdings Limited is the holding company that owns and operates Virgin Australia, Virgin Australia International Airlines and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines. It previously operated Pacific Blue Airlines, Tigerair Australia a ...
.
Loyalty Program
In November 2007, Skywest joined
Virgin Blue's loyalty program Velocity Rewards (now called
Velocity
Velocity is the directional speed of an object in motion as an indication of its rate of change in position as observed from a particular frame of reference and as measured by a particular standard of time (e.g. northbound). Velocity is a ...
). Velocity Points can be earned on all Virgin Australia Regional flights, excluding charter flights. Points awarded vary from 0.5 per mile to one per mile, depending on fare class.
Accidents & incidents
*On 13 May 1980, a Skywest
Swearingen Metro II
The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner (previously the Swearingen Metro and later Fairchild Aerospace Metro) is a 19-seat, pressurized, twin-turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild Aircraft at a plant in San ...
experienced a failure of its right engine at low altitude whilst approaching
Esperance Airport
Esperance Airport is an airport in Esperance, Western Australia. The airport is northwest of the city, near the locality of Gibson.
Airlines and destinations
Qantas and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines previously operated flights fro ...
during a scheduled passenger flight, forcing the pilot to execute an emergency landing in a nearby field. The single crewmember and all eleven passengers on board evacuated the aircraft before it was destroyed in a fire.
1980 Sykwest accident at the Aviation Safety Network
/ref>
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Airlines established in 1963
Airlines of Western Australia
Ansett Australia
Companies based in Perth, Western Australia
Regional Aviation Association of Australia
A
Former Star Alliance affiliate members
Australian companies established in 1963