DPS looms large in Tigers eyes

As mentioned last year Tigerair will take over the MEL/ADL/PER - DPS services currently operated by parent Virgin Australia from next month.

Tiger recently held a media event to discuss the flights and show off the first of their Boeing 737-8FE's which they will borrow from VA for use on the route.

Boeing 737-8FE VH-VUB in Tigerair livery at YMML - photo via australianaviation.com.au ©

The first Boeing 737-8FE in service will be VH-VUB ex ZK-PBJ which was painted into Tigerair livery last year and has sat in MEL since awaiting Tigerair service.

The second Boeing in Tigerair livery will be VH-VOR ex ZK-PBF which completed its last VA revenue service yesterday Sunday 31-January-2016 when it arrived into Brisbane as VA1496 from Hamilton Island, it then positioned to Townsville as VA9901 where it entered the Flying Colours hangar for the repaint.

The third and final Boeing to enter Tigerair service is expected to be VH-VOO ex ZK-PBA (an aircraft I experienced twice in the last week)

For more details on the new service and to see photos of the new Tigerair can refit read the Australian Aviation article HERE

JQs week of 1sts

Jetstar launched a raft of inaugural flights this week.

On Sunday 29-March-2015 Cairns welcomed Jetstar's newest international route CNS-DPS-CNS with A320 VH-VFQ operating the inaugural JQ90/91 service.

Gold Coast also saw a new service on Sunday 29-March-2015 with JQ982/983 OOL-PER-OOL departing.  The inaugural service was operated by A320 VH-VFD

On Monday 30-March-2015 the new JQ164/165 MEL-WLG-MEL service departed Melbourne at the delightful red-eye hour of 00:45 with A320 VH-VQR the lucky aircraft.

On Tuesday 31-March-2015 the new JQ125/124 OOL-NAN-OOL service departed Gold Coast with A320 VH-VFJ operating the inaugural return service.

Changes to Virgin Flights

With the reabsorption of Virgin Australia (NZ) into the Virgin Australia International arm there have been a number of schedule and flight number changes to the Virgin Australia International network, which came into effect this week, with the winter timetable.

Numerous Trans-Tasman, Pacific Island and Bali flights have seen either flight number or time changes or both, here are two changes of note.

Port Hedland - Denpasar Bali

This once weekly service used to operate PHE-DPS-PHE as VA2611/2613 utilising a Virgin Australia Regional Fokker F100, as of today Saturday 4-April-2015 it is now a DPS-PHE-DPS service using a Virgin Australia International B738 as VA74/73.

Sydney - Nadi Fiji

During Peak times Virgin Australia will up gauge their Saturday SYD-NAN-SYD service to an A330.  These peak times are mainly school holidays and selected dates over the Christmas/New Year holiday period.  The first up gauged service departed Sydney this morning Saturday 4-April-2015 operated by Airbus A330 VH-XFJ

JQ launch new routes

The good folks at JQ have kicked off the holiday season by gifting the traveling public 3 new routes.

JQ will launch CNS-DPS and MEL-WLG and reinstate OOL-PER.

The CNS-DPS service will launch on 31-March-2015 as JQ90 departing CNS at 22:50 with an 01:30 arrival into DPS, the return JQ91 is set to depart DPS at 02:20 with an 08:30 arrival into CNS.  The flight will operate 3x weekly with A320 aircraft.

OOL-PER a returning service is set down as evening departures out of OOL and a BOC (Back of Clock or Red-eye) return flight.  This flight will commence on 29-March-2015 and depending on which source you read will operate 4-6x weekly also utilising the A320.

The MEL-WLG service which will launch on 30-March-2015 will begin with a BOC flight from MEL at 00:45 with an 06:05 arrival into WLG the return service will join the standard am bank of Australia bound flights out of WLG at 06:45.  This flight too will be 4x weekly with an A320.

(In case you were wondering its too damn hot in BNE tonight to record this as a video post!)

NZ to DPS

Air New Zealand have launched their first new international route in years with a seasonal Denpasar route.

The new flights will operate twice weekly on the AKL-DPS route, with Boeing 767-319ER aircraft.  The flights launch on June 20th subject to regulatory approval and will operate in the southern winter season  (June to October)

It is expected that these flights will operate under NZs Seats-to-Suit model, where passengers get to choose their own level of service by the price they pay, from seat only to works deluxe which includes all food, baggage and lounge access.