Virgin Australia's new chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka says the country's number-two airline will be firmly focused on the middle of the travel market, targeting passengers who want better service than Jetstar but baulk at Qantas' airfares.
Virgin launched as the budget carrier Virgin Blue 20 years ago but in 2011 reinvented itself as a full-service airline targeting Qantas' rusted on corporate travellers. It ran up huge financial losses and struggled on the ASX until COVID-19 pushed it into voluntary administration in April. And while its business class services will be different, she did not think Virgin would lose its share of price-conscious and SME corporate travellers. "We think businesses coming out of COVID are going to be really cost-conscious," Ms Hrdlicka said.
Virgin is relaunching its domestic operations with 56 Boeing 737s, compared to around 80 pre-administration, with a view to increase that to 75 as the aviation market recovers from COVID-19. Virgin's unions held concerns about Bain's bid for Virgin out of a field of 20 suitors, fearing a "cut and run" private equity flip, and also about Ms Hrdlicka background at the low-cost Jetstar and as part of Qantas during a period of toxic relations with its workforce.
Love the comment by JayneHrdlicka about the Unions working collaboratively with BainCapital The TWUAus have effectively told staff to accept the 'shit sandwich' they are being served in the new EA's and aim to take industrial action when the new EA's expire around Oct 2021.
Better service than Jetstar. Fark me, setting the bar high
Which sounds just like what they purported to do when Branson bought the brand to Australia ? How much is this hoax being paid to “ reinvent” a shit airline ?
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