Extra daily Brisbane-Gladstone return flight on Virgin from Jan

IN BRIEF | Virgin Australia is adding a third daily return flight between Brisbane and Gladstone in Queensland from 16 January 2012.

The new early afternoon return flight is a convenient addition for passengers connecting via Brisbane for Gladstone, a major resources sector hub.

New flight DJ1713 departs from Brisbane at 1210, arriving into Gladstone at 1330.

Return flight DJ1716 leaves Gladstone half an hour later at 1400, getting back to Brisbane for 1520.

Here's the schedule in full, with the new flights in italics:

• DJ1709 Brisbane 0615 – 0735 Gladstone
• DJ1713 Brisbane 1210 – 1330 Gladstone
• DJ1715 Brisbane 1550 – 1710 Gladstone

• DJ1712 Gladstone 0805 – 0925 Brisbane 
• DJ1716 Gladstone 1400 – 1520 Brisbane 
• DJ1718 Gladstone 1745 – 1905 Brisbane

As with Virgin Australia's other Brisbane-Gladstone flights, the new services use brand-new 68-seat ATR 72 turboprop planes in a 2-2 layout that are actually flown by Skywest crews, but both plane and crew are kitted out in Virgin branding. (Take a look at the new slimline seats you'll find on board.)

Those are the same planes used on the Capital Connect services between Canberra and Sydney, which Australian Business Traveller recently reviewed.

Our thanks to airlineroute for the heads-up.

John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.