The airline has adapted its flying schedule in response to state reopening plans and latest border assumptions in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.
Destinations with high vaccination rates are an initial focus, while Australia’s flag-carrier is evaluating whether to operate scheduled service between London Heathrow and Darwin.
Routes analyzes some of the services returning as well as new routes being launched. This week we look at Virgin Atlantic’s move into the UK-Pakistan market; Jetstar’s resumption of Sunshine Coast-Adelaide flights; and the launch of a new Widerøe route from Bergen.
Following the confirmation that Tigerair Australia will cease operations, Routes looks at the Virgin Australia low-cost subsidiary’s place in the market prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An agreement designed to bring a non-stop route between the Australian city of Darwin and Haikou, the capital of China's island province Hainan, has been signed during a special event at World Routes.
The new route brings choice and competition to the town after Alice Springs was left without a second carrier when the low-cost airline, Tigerair pulled out in July last year. It also brings additional international connection options through Darwin and the operations of Virgin Australia’s partner carrier SilkAir via Singapore’s Changi International Airport.
The airline will operate the route from March next year and has linked it with the announcement of the new Darwin – Alice Springs route which was announced last month.
The airline, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, launched flights to Australia in March 2012 with the introduction of flights to Darwin supporting the strategy of its parent airline and allowing the group to grow its network in the country to six destinations: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The introduction of the Cairns route next year is an extension of this strategy.
