Flown by the Boeing 707 “V-jet” VH-EBL, the hop from Sydney to Christchurch on 10 April, 1965, was the first ever commercial flight across the Tasman with a jet aircraft.
The carrier has 10 firm orders for the MAX 10, a larger variant of its existing 737 MAX 8 fleet, and is expecting the first in late 2027 “based on manufacturer Boeing’s positive progress with US regulatory approvals”.
The partnership, announced in January, expands Virgin’s regional footprint by around 45 per cent in the eastern states largely untouched by Perth-based Virgin Australia Regional Airways (VARA). The 17 routes involved equate to around 90 regional servic…