The Herald Sun
Discount airline Virgin Blue today announced its long-haul carrier approved to fly the lucrative trans-Pacific route to the United States would be called V Australia.
The name for the new airline, chosen from almost 6000 entries in a nationwide radio competition, was the clear winner over suggestions such as Randy Roo Airlines, Choo Choo Flying Big Blue and Pineapple Airlines.
“We had an amazing response to help name the airline and V Australia stood out among the entries,” Virgin Blue Airlines Group chief executive Brett Godfrey said.
“It is nice and simple, easily recognised, both understated and obvious and has a clear Australian identity.”
V Australia will be the fourth airline in the Virgin Blue Group after the budget Australian carrier Virgin Blue, the New Zealand-based Pacific Blue and the joint venture with the Samoan Government, Polynesian Blue.
Virgin Blue said the new airline would bring increased competition to the trans-Pacific route after Australia’s International Air Services Commission yesterday gave V Australia the green light to operate return non-stop flights to the US from late 2008.
The airline is awaiting US regulatory approval.
“This is the first time in decades Australia has a start-up long haul international airline and we look forward to bringing competitive air fares and a new style of service to the trans-Pacific market,” Mr Godfrey said.
V Australia will initially operate 10 flights per week between Australia’s east coast and the west coast of the US, with the first flight operated by a brand-new B777-300ER launch aircraft named Didgeree Blue.
The airline will be competing with Qantas and US airlines United and Hawaiian Airlines on the lucrative route.
The Sydney-Los Angeles route is regarded by the Australian Government as a key national asset and is believed to contribute as much as 20 per cent of profits earned by the national airline Qantas.
Canberra has repeatedly rebuffed Singapore Airline’s decade-long campaign for access to the route despite figures showing demand for seats is growing faster than supply.
Virgin Blue is 62.3 per cent-owned by Australia’s Toll Holdings which won control of the company in 2006 while Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, which set up the airline in 2000, has some 25.6 per cent.
By: steve rowell - 28th July 2007 at 03:45
Well done Allen that saves me explaining it to everybody .. it was to be F Jet but it was thought the public wouldn’t take to it so it was called VJet instead
By: Ren Frew - 28th July 2007 at 02:19
Do you know the story behind the Qantas Vjets????
“V-Jet is a marketing name which was introduced by Qantas at the time the Boeing 707-138 aircraft were converted from turbojet engines to more powerful and more efficient turbofans.
The “V” stands for the Latin word “vannus” which translates literally as “winnowing basket” or more loosely, “a device for blowing the grain” or “a fan”. Hence V-Jet denotes Fan Jet.” 😀
From this rarther interesting site… http://www.707.adastron.com/qantas/why-vjet.htm
By: steve rowell - 28th July 2007 at 00:45
So are we going to see a large V on the tail… Hmmm has that been done before ??? 😀 😀 😀 😉
Do you know the story behind the Qantas Vjets????
By: Ren Frew - 26th July 2007 at 13:54
So are we going to see a large V on the tail… Hmmm has that been done before ??? 😀 😀 😀 😉
By: steve rowell - 26th July 2007 at 04:42
Fair enough. Makes sense.
Will things be any different if Singapore Airlines are successful in selling their stake in Virgin?
Are you able to answer my previous question at all…
Virgin Blue cannot use the Virgin name outside Australia as part of an agreement reached when Singapore Airlines took a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1999.
By: cloud_9 - 26th July 2007 at 04:40
Singapore Airlines are also keen to offer services between the two countries. Singapore Airline’s ambitions meant that using the Virgin brand across the Pacific was a non-starter for Virgin Blue, as the airline holds a large stake in Virgin Atlantic.
Fair enough. Makes sense.
Will things be any different if Singapore Airlines are successful in selling their stake in Virgin?
Are you able to answer my previous question at all…
Does anyone know if ‘V Australia’ and Virgin America will offer special connecting services at all or perhaps even code-share on each others flights?
By: steve rowell - 26th July 2007 at 04:30
Why?
Singapore Airlines are also keen to offer services between the two countries. Singapore Airline’s ambitions meant that using the Virgin brand across the Pacific was a non-starter for Virgin Blue, as the airline holds a large stake in Virgin Atlantic.
By: cloud_9 - 26th July 2007 at 04:28
Apparently they’re forbidden from using the Virgin brand outside Australia
Why?
By: steve rowell - 26th July 2007 at 03:06
Apparently they’re forbidden from using the Virgin brand outside Australia
By: cloud_9 - 25th July 2007 at 12:45
Dont particular like the name ‘V Australia’, but that is my opinion.
I have too other suggestions though…Virgin Australia or V.Oz
Does anyone know if ‘V Australia’ and Virgin America will offer special connecting services at all or perhaps even code-share on each others flights?
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July 25, 2007 at 8:23 am