Virgin Australia will cut nine routes from its regional network and exit Tonga as part of its restructure under new owners Bain Capital.
The affected routes are:
- Sydney-Nuku’alofa, Tonga
- Sydney-Albury
- Sydney-Uluru
- Sydney-Hervey Bay
- Sydney-Port Macquarie
- Sydney-Tamworth
- Melbourne-Mildura
- Brisbane-Cloncurry
- Mount Isa-Cloncurry
- Brisbane-Port Macquarie (but flights will continue via partner Alliance Airlines).
“With the changes to simplifying our fleet and ongoing subdued customer demand, we have been required to make some adjustments to our network,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson said. They added that the airline will continue to review its network as travel restrictions ease and demand returns, which suggests we are likely to see more route changes in the future.
Virgin was already in the process of reviewing its network before Covid hit as is struggled to stay competitive.
It’s not clear when these route shutdowns will take effect. If you have an existing booking, you should expect to hear from Virgin soon – though if you booked through a travel agent, you’ll need to contact them directly.
Virgin’s creditors recently approved the airline’s purchase by Bain Capital. The takeover should be formalised in the coming weeks, so further announcements about routes, aircraft and operations are likely.
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