Qantas may soon lose its monopoly on non-stop flights between Perth and London as Virgin’s Founder Sir Richard Branson flags intent to operate on the route.
The entrepreneur and soon-to-be cruise operator has allegedly directed staff to get non-stop flights between Australia and the UK off the ground “as soon as possible”.
Branson first flagged intentions to operate non-stop to Australia early last decade, when he placed an order for several A350-900ULR aircraft – the same four-engine planes Singapore Airlines is using on non-stop Singapore-New York City services.
Keep a brain like Branson
He again reiterated his hope for direct flights between London and Perth in 2015, after revealing plans to one day operate three-hour flights between the two cities.
Now, with Virgin Atlantic’s first A350 making an appearance outside of the Airbus factory this week, the reality of Qantas receiving a little competition on the non-stop route is as likely as ever.
According to The Herald Scotland, Virgin Atlantic’s future non-stop London-Perth services would likely be a codeshare with Virgin Australia and Delta Air Lines. The publication also expects flights to operate year-round
Meanwhile, Qantas recently told KARRYON that the carrier’s non-stop services to London have had a seat factor of 92 percent since launching in March and the route is now the highest rating service in the network.
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