Virgin CEO Shai Weiss and Airbus Commercial Aircraft CEO Christian Scherer during a media briefing on board an Airbus A330neo at the Farnborough static park.
UK-based Virgin Atlantic placed a follow-on order for seven more Airbus A330neos, with purchase rights for nine more.
Speaking at a media briefing at Farnborough Tuesday, Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said the aircraft will complete Virgin’s fleet renewal, which has seen the airline transition away from Airbus A340s and Boeing 747s to A330neos, A350s and Boeing 787s over the past decade.
This latest order takes Virgin’s A330neo commitment to 19.
Weiss estimated the value of Virgin’s 10-year fleet replacement program at around $17 billion. “In many ways, this completes our fleet transformation,” he said.
The A330neos will be delivered between 2027 and the first quarter of 2028. By then, Virgin will operate 12 A350s, 19 A330neos and 14 787s. Virgin currently operates 45 long-haul aircraft, with 40 based at London Heathrow and the remaining five at Manchester in northern England.
Virgin took delivery of its first Airbus aircraft in 1993, after originally launching operations using Boeing 747s. “While not first to the party, they’ve [Airbus has] been our main dance partner,” Weiss said.
The order was announced onboard a Virgin Atlantic A330neo, registered GB-VSRB, which is in the Farnborough static display.
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