Virgin Australia has opted for a two-class configuration for its fleet of Embraer E190-E2s, the first of which will be entering into service in October this year.
Revealing its cabin interiors for the first time, the Australian carrier adds that it expects to take delivery of four – out of an order for eight – E2s over a 12-month period.
Embraer will begin assembly of Virgin Australia’s first E2, christened ‘Coral Bay’, in March, the airline confirms. The E2s, which will operate with regional unit Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA), replace the carrier’s fleet of Fokker 100s.
The E2s will also be based in Perth, where it will serve the Western Australia charter market. VARA will be Australia’s first E2 operator, and the latest E2 operator in the Asia-Pacific region, after Singapore’s Scoot.
Virgin Australia does not disclose the seat count of the E2s, but a rendering of the interiors shows there to be at least eight business-class seats, in a three-abreast configuration.
VARA executive general manager Nathan Miller adds that the airline has also opted to include an “extra-legroom option” in economy class. The dual-class configuration allows the airline to deploy the E2 on non-charter services if the need arises.
Miller adds: “From a network and scheduling perspective, we have been planning how to best utilise the aircraft to support both charter and commercial flying. The first aircraft will operate primarily on our current charter routes and to the commercial passenger airports [in Western Australia] we service, but there is definitely growth opportunity as the fleet grows.”
VARA also confirms it has begun hiring for new pilots and support roles in the lead-up to the E2’s introductions. Maintenance training is already underway, with pilot training - at Embraer’s facility in Singapore - and cabin crew training to commence soon.
