VA ‘new’ B737-700s
 

Morning folks, I wondered if anyone might have some details re the 'new' VA 737-700s. We know from the press release that they will go into service in Q1 of CY23 but we still don't have any firm detail about their origin or actual EIS, do we? I ask because looking at VA schedules for January I note there are 8 lines of flying for the 73W including 6 based at BNE and 2 based out of PER. Surely this suggests the aircraft should begin arriving in Australia in the not-too-distant future? Appreciate any info, please and thank you!

There is a significant new pilot influx with September and October start dates

Hi Rowan everything that i have read states the 7 new 700'are to be PER based replacing the VARA F100's ?

Also what is the trick to look up the VA schedules as their are none that i can find on the their web site .You have to go in and book a flight to find out the aircraft type.I must be missing something.

Sorry i do not know their delivery details.Cheers.

We keep hearing that the first if the ex KLM batch is due in September, so pretty soon.

The CEO said she'd get more if she could, and expects to when KLM get their A220s to replace 73Gs... but I don't think KLM are getting A220s in their own right, only E2s.

The company line is that they'll replace the F100s, with the 73Gs initially crewed by VAA crew to relieve F100 pilots, enabling them to get 737 type ratings.

Rowan, I'd be very appreciative if you cold direct me to where the 6 lines of 73G flying ex BNE can be found.

...and they'll have 24K (24,000lb thrust) engines so they'll have plenty of grunt.

ROK, MKY and TSV seem popular destinations in Feb with ROK on some days 100% 737-7. If you have GDS access you can bring up timetables/scheds

Interesting.

I don't think I have GDS access.

I would have thought that if 737-700s are good replacements for VARA F100s in the West wouldn't they be good replacements for Alliance F100s in the East? Especially ports like ROK and NTL that don't have limiting runways.

Does anyone know whether the KLM frame that had the inflight cargo door issue last week will be coming over?

Thanks for the info, folks! I must've missed the bit about September but certainly figured they must be starting to arrive very soon.

I don't have GDS access any more either, and VA don't have online schedule/timetable like QF do, I've just used their booking system (dummy bookings only, sadly!) and verified with the seat maps that appear if you progress a little way through a booking. In mid January, the BNE-based units will be operating to ADL, CNS, MKY, ROK and TSV, with occasional CBR and HBA turns as well. The PER-based units will be operating to ADL, BME, KGI, KTA, LST, KNX, ZNE and PHE, with from memory a single DRW turn per week.

Very very interesting Rowan.

Again this is a little different from what the company is telling its people.

Do the airframes show a two class config? Employees were told the "VARA" 73Gs will be one class, as are the F100s and A320s. A little over 140 seats IIRC. Virgin Blue 700s had 144, and the current pair are 120Y/8J.

They’re showing the current VA configuration but with Business bookable as economy, at least on the flights out of PER. I’m not sure if J is bookable from BNE, to be honest.

I have just had a look on Flight Aware at the Current KLM fleet of 10 aircraft. PH-BGF ferried to Norwich on 8/8/22, could it be the first??
BGK, BGL, BGT, and BGX are flying with KLM but, BGG, BGH, BGI, BGM, and BGQ are flying with Transavia.
Of the 8 that have left the fleet, 2 are flying with Luxair, from July 19, 2 with Equair from Dec 21 and 1 with Arik Air from Aug 21. There are 3 stored, 1 in Montpellier, France, 1 in Alguaire Spain and the other at Kaunas in Lithuania, one in Aug 21, one in Sep 21 and the other Dec 21.

List of the current KLM B737-700s

PH-BGF 30365/2714 Boeing 737-7K2(WL) CY142 15/12/08 Withdrawn@NWI
PH-BGG 30367/2835 Boeing 737-7K2(WL) CY142 18/03/09 InService
PH-BGH 38053/3119 Boeing 737-7K2(WL) CY142 16/12/09 InService
PH-BGI 30364/3172 Boeing 737-7K2(WL) CY142 16/02/10 InService
PH-BGK 38054/3292 Boeing 737-7K2(WL) CY142 11/06/10 InService
PH-BGL 30369/3407 Boeing 737-7K2(WL) CY142 23/09/10 InService
PH-BGM 39255/3569 Boeing 737-7K2(WL) CY142 26/04/11 InService
PH-BGQ 39256/3675 Boeing 737-7K2(WL) CY142 22/06/11 InService
PH-BGT 38634/3762 Boeing 737-7K2(WL) CY142 07/09/11 InService
PH-BGX 38635/3811 Boeing 737-7K2(WL) CY142 24/10/11 InService

As Dennis mentioned above BGF ferried to Norwich on 8/8, so potentially (maintenance & refresh & repaint) be available to VA late next month.

Kent, the a/c is PH-BGT which has returned to service & is in the above list.

Thanks Greg!

I agree it seems likely that BGF could be one of the first.

Of the now former KLM aircraft Dennis mentioned, OE-IBZ (former PH-BGR, since returned to lessor Avolon) is the one stored at KUN and I note it flew what appears to be a 1.5 test flight on the 19th of August. I wonder if it might also be headed this way?

From yesterdays Virgin (re-)announcement.


Virgin Australia has secured priority access to a Boeing 737NG full-flight simulator in Perth which will deliver a 25 per cent increase in domestic training capacity for more than 200 pilots based in Western Australia who are retraining on the aircraft type as the airline continues its growth of Boeing 737 aircraft.

Simulator access will be available as soon as April 2023 through a long-term partnership with global aviation training provider CAE.

Virgin Australia Group has today announced four additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and priority access to a Boeing 737NG full-flight simulator that will be deployed in Jandakot, near Perth, as part of a long-term partnership with global aviation training provider CAE.

Full release

https://newsroom.virginaustralia.com...ight-simulator

OE-IBZ, one of the ex KLM 737's flew KUN/MCT yesterday. Today it left MCT at 07.37am and is now over the Indian Ocean flying south east to????? Is this the first for VA??

Also PH-BGF has returned to KLM in Amsterdam yesterday evening, so perhaps it is not coming???

IBZ well over India now, no indication of the destination yet.

Each ex KLM 73G will take about a month of heavy maintenance, cockpit and cabin reconfiguration in Singapore. Aircraft will overlap there. First one should make it to Brisbane early October. All 7by March/April.

Just about to land in XSP.

PH‑BGR/OE-IBZ was withdrawn on 25/06/21.
Ferried, Amsterdam to Norwich on 26/07/21 to be painted all white.
Returned to Amsterdam 02/08.

Expect the regos to be in the VH-Nxx series. Not numbered regos yet.

The first one, 3728, will be VH-NBV

And despite the new Virgin rebranding the first ex KLM -700 has been photographed in standard VA livery.

Aren't they operating under the VA AOC so that they can be used anywhere on the VA Network

NBV was added to the register on 12/09/2022 to VIRGIN AUSTRALIA AIRLINES PTY LTD

Yup. They can be flown by any Virgin 737 pilot on any Virgin route. The existing VARA F100 pilots will effectively transfer to the VAA AOC and pay/work conditions, they can fly any 737NG anywhere. And potentially Max in the nearish future. The work rules will be altered to permit some of the early morning charter ops.

6 more 737-700s are now listed in the 'Future' fleet for VA, no VH- regos yet.
All are ex-KLM, PH-BGX/BGK/BGL/BGT/BGU/BGW

Interestingly, 3 are still flying with KLM.

KLM is going through a fleet update replacing B737-700's with A320neos.

The 3 that are still operational will be released as new Neo's arrive.

BGU (Alguaire) and BGW (Montpellier) have been stored since 22/12/21 and 30/09/21 respectively, but from my last check the other 4 are still flying with KLM.

BGT was WFU on the 2nd (so a few days ago) and has been sitting in AMS since.

Thanks Tristan

Boeing 737 -7K2 38128 3797 VP-CET Aviation Capital Group ferried 10oct22 MPL-DWC on delivery to? ex PH-BGW

Skyliner has now added DWC-XSP to VP-CETs delivery flight for Virgin Australia, but with no VH registration. No movement of VH-NBV from XSP as yet.

NBV has a flight plan filed for tomorrow, VOZ9948 XSP-BNE arriving at 1906L


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NBV is on its way.

It is interesting to note that as KLM finish (or about to finish) with these birds they are flown to Norwich to be repainted ALL WHITE.

The latest one to be withdrawn PH-BGT was yet to make the trip to the paint shop.

Was there weather around Indonesia? looks to have taken a more easterly track than usual for XSP to BNE.

For those who haven’t seen on Facebook or the like, NBV arrived into BNE yesterday in standard VA livery and named Christies Beach.