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10 Interesting things you didn’t know about Virgin Airline.

10 Interesting things you didn't know about Virgin Airline.

1.In July 2017, Virgin Atlantic announced their intention to form a joint venture with Air France-KLM. Under the agreement, Air France-KLM will acquire a 31 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic currently held by Virgin Group.

The enhanced joint venture would establish a combined partnership with a duration of at least 15 years. In order to support the success of that cooperation:

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Air France-KLM will acquire a 31 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic currently held by Virgin Group for £220 million.

Virgin Group will retain a 20 percent stake and Chairmanship.

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2. Virgin produced the first film to be shot at 35,000ft on three commercial flights

In 2012, the romantic comedy Departure Date (starring Ben Feldman and Nicky Whelan) was filmed for eight days straight on flights between LA, London, and Sydney. As per the airline’s regulations, the film crew were only allowed two carry-ons each, and couldn’t film when the seat belt light came on. The cast and crew racked up a total of 28,358 miles, and some of the paying commercial passengers were featured as extras. Watch here.

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3. Steve Fossett singlehandedly flew around the world in a Virgin plane 

The Scaled Composites Model 311 Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer (registered N277SF) is an aircraft designed by Burt Rutan in which Steve Fossett flew a solo nonstop airplane flight around the world in 2 days 19 hours and 1 minute (67 hours 1 minute) from February 28 to March 3, 2005. The flight speed of 590.7 kilometres per hour (367.0 mph) set the world record for the fastest nonstop non-refueled circumnavigation, beating the mark set by the previous Rutan-designed Voyager aircraft at 9 days 3 minutes and an average speed of 116 miles per hour (187 km/h).

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The aircraft was owned by the pilot Steve Fossett, sponsored by Richard Branson’s airline, Virgin Atlantic, and built by Burt Rutan’s company, Scaled Composites. The two companies subsequently went on to work together on Virgin Galactic.

4. Delta Air Lines owns 49 percent of Virgin Atlantic

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Yep. In June 2013, Delta Air Lines bought a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic from Singapore Airlines for $360 million. It might seem like a strange investment, but it’s well worth it for Delta, which now gets to fly its customers more frequently to London’s Heathrow Airport.

5. Virgin Atlantic. Humble with a Touch of Glamour.

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Virgin Atlantic is the brainchild of the mildly eclectic CEO, Sir Richard Branson, but did you know it was never his intention to start an airline? Virgin Atlantic was actually born out of a truly magical love story. Sir Richard Branson was on his way from Puerto Rico to meet a beautiful woman in the British Virgin Islands but was unfortunately left stranded along with other passengers. In a momentary act of valour, Richard Branson hired a plane, wrote on a blackboard “Virgin Air, $39 single flight” and the thought of starting Virgin Atlantic was born.

6. Cats and dogs can earn Velocity Frequent Flyer Points when they travel with Virgin Airlines.

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Velocity Frequent Flyer, the award-winning loyalty program of Virgin Australia today launched Australia’s first frequent flyer program for pets.

Breaking new ground in the loyalty space, from today, Velocity members can now earn 300 Points each time their dog or cat flies on Virgin Australia’s expansive domestic network. Silver, Gold and Platinum members will also receive a special Points bonus.

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Building on the program’s unique family benefits, today’s announcement makes Velocity the only frequent flyer program in Australia to recognize and reward four legged members of the family.

7. Virgin America was the first airline to make foldable boarding passes.

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Boarding passes are stupid. They don’t fit in passports, or pockets, or wallets. And by the time you hand over your dog-eared, crumpled document to a clerk behind the check-in desk, you’re bound to get a disapproving sneer.

Well, everyone’s favorite airline Virgin America is finally offering the simple solution in the form of a sexy, fold-friendly boarding pass. The document includes personal details, flight number, departure and arrival time, gate and terminal, along with the cabin and seat allocation. And it fits right into your back pocket, because that makes sense, and it’s ridiculous no airline has done this before.

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8. Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin America, owns his very own island.

Richard Branson had been madly trying to come up with a way to impress a girl he had fallen for, so he rang up the realtor, and expressed his interest. they were still in the early days of Virgin Records, and he by no means had the cash to buy an island. Luckily, the realtor didn’t know this and offered me an all-expenses paid trip to see the Islands that weekend. He agreed to go on one condition – if he could bring a guest.

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when the realtor quoted the ‘discounted’ asking price of $6 million, Smitten with the unspoilt paradise, and keen to impress his new love, he offered the highest amount he could afford: $100,000. As you can imagine, the realtor was less than impressed, and left us high and dry to find our own way back home.

A year later, a charming man named Derek Dunlop arrived at his houseboat in London and explained that nobody else had made an offer on Necker, and that the owner of the Island was desperate to sell. Virgin Records was in a much better position than it had been a year before, so he quickly agreed to a purchase price of $180,000 – the only condition was that he would need to build a resort on the Island within four years.

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9. Virgin Australia has been recognised as the most attractive employer in Australia in 2015 at the annual Randstad Award. It also placed in the top 3 for the last five years, including a top spot in 2011.

Amongst fierce competition, Virgin Australia has been named Australia’s Most Attractive Employer at the annual Randstad Award at Doltone House in Sydney.

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With half of all Aussies (50%) claiming they would like to work for the aviation giant, Virgin Australia held off strong competition to edge out two-time winner, the ABC, who came in second place and the Department of Immigration & Border Protection who took out the third spot.

10. Virgin Defunct airlines

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  • V Australia (Rebrand to Virgin Australia with Virgin Blue & Virgin Polynesia)
  • Virgin Nigeria (rebrand to Air Nigeria)
  • Virgin Express (rebrand to Brussels Airlines)
  • Virgin Express France
  • Virgin Sun (sold and merged into Air 2000)
  • Virgin Atlantic Little Red
  • Virgin Samoa

Aviation

Saudi Arabia’s National Airline Saudia Could Fall Under PIF Ownership

Saudi Arabia's National Airline Saudia Could Fall Under PIF Ownership

According to the report, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, is reportedly in talks to buy the national airline Saudia.

An important milestone for one of the oldest airlines in the Middle East, this prospective transfer of ownership would also apply to other businesses owned by Saudia, including as its low-cost subsidiary Flyadeal. The action is considered a component of a larger plan to strengthen the PIF’s aviation portfolio by the beginning of 2025, which might improve Saudia’s financial results and operational effectiveness.

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There have also been proposals that the airline might be privatized or combined with Riyadh Air, which is already controlled by the PIF. Saudia now has a sizable fleet of over 142 aircraft and serves more than 90 locations worldwide, while the exact value of the deal is still unknown.

However, sources caution that the plan may encounter delays or even be abandoned altogether. The establishment of Riyadh Air is consistent with the PIF’s larger goal of utilizing important industries to promote Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification. Based on projections, it is possible that Riyadh Air will generate billions of dollars in value and hundreds of thousands of jobs, making it a major contributor to the kingdom’s non-oil GDP.

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Recently, The UK-based construction company Mace has been selected as the delivery partner for King Salman International Airport (KSIA) in riyadh. When KSIA opens in 2030, it will be the largest airport in the world, marking a significant milestone for the aviation industry.

By 2030, the airport is forecasted to facilitate a substantial increase in annual passenger traffic, skyrocketing from 29 million to a staggering 120 million travelers. Moreover, aircraft traffic within the kingdom is anticipated to surge from 211,000 to over 1 million flights per year following the airport’s inauguration.

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Aerospace

Korean Air to open Asia’s largest aircraft engine MRO cluster

Korean Air to open Asia’s largest aircraft engine MRO cluster

Korean Air has started building an aircraft engine maintenance cluster at Incheon International Airport in Unbuk. The facility is expected to be operational by 2027.

This new complex, which will be the biggest of its kind in Asia, will strengthen the airline’s capacity to maintain aircraft engines and secure its place in the aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry.

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Over 140,000 square metres are divided into seven levels of the new engine maintenance facility. The 578 billion won facility is being built by Kolon Global, and it will be positioned next to the Engine Test Cell (ETC) that the airline has been using since 2016.

Engine maintenance was traditionally handled by Korean Air at its Bucheon facility, with additional final performance testing conducted at the ETC in Unbuk. By centralised all stages of engine maintenance at one location, the engine maintenance cluster will strategically consolidate and streamline this process, improving operational efficiency.

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Additionally, Korean Air plans to greatly improve its capacity to service aircraft engines, increasing from 100 to 360 each year, and servicing a wider range of engine types. Six engine models are now overhauled by the airline: General Electric’s GE90-115B, CFM International’s CFM56, and Pratt & Whitney’s PW4000 and GTF.

Three additional engine models, including GE’s GEnx and CFMI’s LEAP-1B, are being added to the lineup as part of the expansion. Additionally, the prospect of maintaining Asiana Airlines’ engines—including the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB powering the Airbus A350—is being investigated by the carrier. In order to increase the competitiveness of the domestic aircraft MRO business and lessen reliance on foreign maintenance services, the new maintenance cluster is anticipated to create over 1,000 new jobs.

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Aviation

IndiGo strengthens connectivity with Sri Lanka: Announces new direct flights

IndiGo strengthens connectivity with Sri Lanka: Announces new direct flights

IndiGo, India’s favoured airline, has announced additional direct flights between Mumbai and Colombo beginning April 12, 2024.

These flights, scheduled three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, would improve connectivity between India’s financial centre. Mumbai is also the capital of Sri Lanka. Mumbai now ranks fourth in India for direct connectivity to Colombo, following Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

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Over 2,500 years of intellectual, cultural, religious, and commercial ties bind India and Sri Lanka together. Colombo is a thriving centre for travel and business. The city provides convenient access to the island nation and is well-connected to the international airport. The city of Colombo itself is a study in contrasts, with both colonial-era architecture and contemporary skyscrapers.

Numerous historical and cultural sites, such as the National Museum and the Gangaramaya Temple, are open for exploration by tourists. For culinary adventure lovers, Colombo’s diverse food scene offers a tempting array of flavours, from spicy curries to fresh seafood. 

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Customers can reserve tickets through mobile app or official website, www.goIndiGo.in, if they would want to organise their trip. The addition of these flights will improve the airline’s global connection even more.

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Aerospace

Comac is set to fly to five Southeast Asian countries for a C919 and ARJ21 demonstration tour

Comac is set to fly to five Southeast Asian countries for a C919 and ARJ21 demonstration tour

Following the successful debut of the COMAC aircraft at the Singapore Airshow 2024, the company has secured new branding rights for its products in the Southeast Asian aviation market. According to sources, the airline is directing its aircraft displays to Malaysia.

A static display and demonstration flight featuring the China-manufactured commercial aircraft C919 and ARJ21 were held on Wednesday at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Malaysia’s Selangor state.

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The event showcased the brand-new C919 and ARJ21 aircraft, both quietly competing in the narrow-body segment market and slightly challenging the Boeing 737 and A320 family aircraft. The ARJ is tailored for regional airports with shorter routes.

C919 and ARJ21’s five-country tour.

This event concluded the C919 and ARJ21’s five-country Southeast Asian demonstration flight tour, which included visits to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Indonesia.

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COMAC is actively seeking an international market alongside China. Currently, the company has amassed over 1100 aircraft orders for the COMAC C919 aircraft.

Throughout the demonstration flights and static displays, the aircraft manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) conducted a series of product promotion activities targeting potential customers.

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Furthermore, the company aims to expand its airline network in these countries by obtaining regular licenses from their respective national aerospace authorities.

The purpose of the tour was to evaluate the aircraft’s adaptability to various airports and routes in the five countries, assess the ground service equipment’s suitability, test special flight procedures’ feasibility, and highlight the economic viability of these routes. COMAC stated that demonstration flights would lay the groundwork for future market development in Southeast Asia.

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ARJ21 can carry 97 seats and C919- 192 seats.

The ARJ21 regional aircraft is designed to accommodate 78-97 passengers with a flight range of 2,225-3,700 kilometers. Meanwhile, the C919 jetliner offers a layout for 158-192 seats and a range of 4,075-5,555 kilometers, as per the company’s specifications.

The C919 completed its maiden commercial flight on May 28, 2023. Since then, China Eastern Airlines, its inaugural customer, has received five C919 aircraft, operating round-trip flights on Shanghai-Beijing and Shanghai-Chengdu routes. COMAC reports that it has safely transported over 140,000 passengers to date.

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