Virgin Blue restarts MEL-DRW and adds PER-DRW

[Kain C]

Looks like DJ have dropped ADL-HBA from 27APR though, Looks like TT have won that battle, considering people on the board saying in a previous thread that DJ's ADL-HBA was safe.

Is this confirmed? I know the ADL-HBA flights no longer appear in the schedules, but isn't the schedule post April 27 still a work in progress? For example, the schedule post April 27 shows 11 x MEL-ADL, but only 9 x ADL-MEL (with a 6 hour gap in the middle of the day), 5 x CBR-MEL but only 4 x MEL-CBR etc. So is it possible that the ADL-HBA flights have not been canned, but are just yet to be loaded into the system?

In the past, routes that get dropped are the ones that are struggling. The ones that are struggling tend to have the lowest tier of blue saver fare available for sale every day, even up to the day of travel. ADL-HBA has been incredibly full recently, with many days only having $300+ and $400+ fares (if any at all!) available. That means they have sold all the $100+ and $200+ etc fares, meaning yield should not be a problem.

Can someone from DJ confirm the aircraft type currently used. I believe it is E190/737 on alternate days of the week. If so, downgrading to daily E190 or even E170 will cover the upcoming winter downturn.

HBA airport is bucking the financial crisis trend arguably better than any other airport in th country. Why would DJ start HBA-CBR on April 6, only to drop HBA-ADL on April 27? It just doesn't make sense to me, which is why I don't believe it is true!

[Marty H]

Kain,

Flights no longer seem to be in the system, so looks like it has indeed been canned.

[Jarden S]

Originally Posted by Rhys Xanthis

Per-Drw is long overdue, I've been waiting for it for a while.

At the same time though, Skywest have just restarted flights to Darwin via Broome and/or Kununurra (i think its kununurra).

Some over capacity probably, but i guess all will come out in the next 6 or so months.

Regarding the MEL-DRW flight. There is an under capacity on this route since Tiger pulling out leaving it to jetstar. From Bitre statistics passenger volumes grew at 88% in the last year on Mel-Drw. And that was before tiger quit Darwin over expensive landing fees. I hope DJ can afford those expensive fees at DRW. I also hope that DJ can restart SYD-DRW and ADL-DRW to fill in the missing links. Too long it was just one daily flight to Darwin from Brisbane. They need more E-jets for this sort of expansion. Surely there is room for more than one player between SYD and DRW.

[Marty H]

SYD-DRW and ADL-DRW could definitely work at 'seasonal flights'

[Anthony T]

Also how's it going to work for the bagroom as you know they are out the door at 12:30am on the dot?

Have they worked out who's going to chuck the bags for the 01:15 dep?

This flight is only happening due to a cargo contract (Toll?), the pax are extra revenue.

I think the CC do MEL-DRW (rest) another crew DRW-PER-DRW and the original crew get back on to do DRW-MEL in the evening. (Could be wrong here though)

Anthony T

[Mick F]

Is this 'cargo contract' the one that Pelair are loosing on their Westwinds (DRW-Alice-ML-Alice-DRW)??

Quite a sad turn of events, as that run has been around for many many years with Pelair.

Mick