New Charter Fleet Approaching For VARA

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA) is pressing ahead with plans for the introduction of its fleet of new Embraer E190 E2s in October.

Virgin Australia Group last year ordered eight E190 E2s for its VARA business, based in Perth, Western Australia (WA).

The new aircraft will initially be used mainly for charter work, replacing the company’s three long-serving Fokker 100s, as well as complementing its larger narrowbodies.

The first of VARA’s aircraft began final assembly in March, with the first four scheduled for delivery within 12 months.

Australia’s vast mineral wealth, including gold, uranium and iron ore, much of it in locations hundreds of miles into the country’s vast interior, requires a steady stream of ‘fly-in, fly-out’ (FIFO) charter flights for workforce changeovers in remote sites. Personnel typically work anything between one to four weeks before flying back for home leave.

The new aircraft will reduce emissions by around 30% compared to the Fokker 100s, significantly reduce the noise profile around airports and provide a significantly better passenger experience, VARA said.

With the last of these in mind, VARA has unveiled the cabin layout of the E190 E2s.

“We have opted for a dual-class layout, which actually gives us three product options when you include our extra legroom option, Economy X,”, VARA executive GM, Nathan Miller said.

“It means we have the flexibility to use the aircraft for regular commercial operations on the days of the week when there is less charter demand and leisure traffic is higher.

“We have had very positive feedback since we announced the acquisition of these aircraft, especially as these will be the first brand-new aircraft in the WA charter market this century.

“Our customers are excited about the two-plus-two layout in our economy cabin, which means there are no middle seats. There is enough room in the cabin for every guest to have a bag in the overhead bin. The seats are more spacious than the outgoing Fokker 100s, which gives our guests an improved flying experience.”

The aircraft will be fitted with VARA’s high bandwidth wi-fi connectivity and in-flight entertainment (via a guest’s own personal electronic device), as well as in-seat power.

The new aircraft will support the creation of 150 new, WA-based jobs in the VARA business over the next three years.