Virgin (XR) ATR operating Moranbah
 

G'day all

Just noticed on flightaware FVX operated a short series of flights between MOV and BNE late last week (2 southbound and 1 northbound). Would this have been part of a charter operation that Skywest would normally handle itself or a separate charter for Virgin? Is it something we're likely to see more of in the future.

Thanks a lot!
Rowan

I am lead to believe it was a route proving flight...

They are charters while they had a spare ATR. They start rotating through TSV/CNS/ROK from this week so all capacity occupied again for a while.

Cheers guys... I liked the idea it might have been route proving but would've preferred to see them take E190s in. Ain't gonna beat a Q400 with ATR72!

Wanna bet? :p

Honestly I've not been on an ATR72-500 ever, let alone Virgin's. Just can't imagine I'd want to do it on a flight to MOV when the Q400 is so much faster! Is it any cheaper to run over that distance?

Im with James, proving flight

Depending on the flight time the ATR wins and the time is just over an hour, I am led to believe.

According to QF schedules it's 1:50 for Q400 and 2:10 for Q300 - ATR would be similar to Q300. I'd believe the ATR is cheaper to run on face value but is it cheaper by enough to make up for the 20 min time difference?

When DJ/XR were making a decision on which turboprop to purchase, you can be sure they weighed up speed vs fuel burn (and no doubt a bunch of other things as well). The ATR obviously won out...

I don't know the exact numbers (a pilot or someone else on this board may be able to shed some light), but I've heard the ATR's fuel burn numbers are quite impressive when compared to the Q400, let alone, of course, the E170... In an environment of high fuel prices and uncertainty as to where that price will go, it seems to me to be a smart move.