VA / TT Fleet departures

[Dennis McLean]

ATR 72 500, VH-FVU is showing in the VA fleet list in Airline Fleets as going to Fly Big

[James Smith]

VH-YFJ left CNS at 5:22 this morning for maintenance at CRK and will arrive at 9:08 local. It could be that the early start will see the crew bring VH-YFH back to CNS/BNE today.
VH-VUX has just left MEL for its repaint in TSV as VA9929 and is due to arrive at 10:21.
VH-VBY returned to BNE from XSP last night 9/6/21 as VA9948 and is back in service today and scheduled to operate 5 services, the first being VA1235 to ROK.
No movement for VH-VUY as yet.

[Tristan S]

A flight plan has just been filed for VUY for a departure later today. BNE DRW VA9945
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHVUY

[Tristan S]

In a big day... a flight plan has also been filed for YFE for a departure today from WTB to DRW
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHYFE
Was due out at 0800 but hasnt left yet.

EDIT: now due out at 1010

[James Smith]

A huge day and so much maintenance activity currently for Virgin in getting the additional B738s into service. Their maintenance bill for the last 6 months must be astronomical. I wonder if they are working to a deadline to have the additional eight aircraft back on deck.

Do we know as yet where VH-YFE is heading to after DRW? EDIT: Thanks Tristan. YFE is heading to HKG for maintenance.

Virgin's maintenance schedule currently has two aircraft in Kansas City, MCI (2-VYFG & I), two in CRK (one going to and another coming from CRK) (YFH & YFJ), one heading to HKG from DRW (YFE), one heading to HKG (VUY), one being painted in TSV and then to HKG (VUX), one just returned from XSP (VBY) and one still to return to service after maintenance in XSP (VUR).

[Tristan S]

YFE now showing as heading to HKG after DRW. Remembering that this isn't a Virgin aircraft, its still with the lessor.

[James Smith]

Thanks Tristan for the update. Is the lessor responsible for maintenance to an aircraft prior to it returning to the carrier or does it depend on the contract agreed to? When does the hand over take place? Once the aircraft is back in BNE or at the maintenance airport? Would they use Virgin tech staff to fly the aircraft to and from maintenance?

[Jamie D]

Looks like VH-VUY is returning to Darwin after departure to HKG

[Tristan S]

Originally Posted by James Smith

Thanks Tristan for the update. Is the lessor responsible for maintenance to an aircraft prior to it returning to the carrier or does it depend on the contract agreed to? When does the hand over take place? Once the aircraft is back in BNE or at the maintenance airport? Would they use Virgin tech staff to fly the aircraft to and from maintenance?

Someone more in the know would need to confirm, but my understanding it's the responsibility of the lessor before its handed over to the airline. As for handover, I guess that would be up to to the lessor/airline. The jets that are coming back from the US were flown by Jet Test, for example, back to Australia and rego changed in Australia.

[James Smith]

Thanks for the heads up, Jamie. VUY has just landed back in DRW after a 1 hour and 10 minutes flight time and looks to have been at cruising altitude of 40,000 for only 10 minutes or so. I hope that the aircraft is not held up for too long in DRW like VH-VUC which returned and stayed there for over a month before moving on to freighter conversion.