Are Virgin Australia’s 777s on the way back?

Five years after Virgin Australia’s Boeing 777 fleet was grounded by the pandemic and the airline’s subsequent collapse – and quickly ditched altogether by new owners Bain Capital – the big jets could be on their way back to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

This surprise return for Virgin’s former flagships would come as Virgin Australia restarts long-range international flights under a strategic partnership with Qatar Airways which will see the Gulf carrier taking a 25% stake in the airline. 

By mid-2025, the airlines says, Virgin expects to launch flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to Qatar Airway’s Doha hub, with onwards connections to over 100 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Those will complement Qatar’s current daily flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, and the double-daily service from Melbourne.

Putting their best foot forward: Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia.

Of course, Virgin Australia doesn’t have the planes, pilots or crew for these flights – which is why  Qatar Airways will provide all those to Virgin under a packaged leasing deal.

It’s the same model which Qantas now uses to fly Finnair jets from Sydney to Singapore and Bangkok.

So to all intents and purposes, these ‘Virgin Australia’ flights will be Qatar Airways flights: although they’ll carry both VA and QR flight numbers, with everything from airport lounge access and a full serve of Velocity Point and status credits in the mix.

The Boeing 777 is the long-distance workhorse of the Qatar Airways fleet.

And as it happens, Qatar Airways’ fleet includes three former Virgin Australia Boeing 777s which it flies on a regular basis to destinations in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, along with hops around the Gulf, the Maldives and Africa.

(Want to see where those three jets have been in the past week? Click here, here and here to track their recent movements on Flightradar24.)

Although painted with Qatar’s livery, these 777s still have the same seats and interiors as when Virgin Australia used to fly them between Australia and Los Angeles.

We can’t help but think the symbolism of those three ex-Virgin 777s returning to Australia to help Virgin resume international flying is simply too good an opportunity for Qatar Airways to pass up.

And it’ll be an eerie Twilight Zone moment of deja vu for Virgin Australia loyalists setting foot on these planes, because nothing has changed since Virgin’s 777 heyday from 2016 to 2020.

Qatar's ex-Virgin 777s retain the original business class.

There’s that excellent business class: 37 private pods with direct aisle access and plenty of personal space.

Blast from the past: Virgin's 777 business class.

Of course, each business class seat folds down into a fully lie-flat bed – just change into your Qatar Airways pyjamas and settle down for a good long sleep.

Virgin's flatbed business class, although it'll come with QR pyjamas and amenities.

As it happens, Virgin Australia’s 777 business class was based on the same ‘Super Diamond’ platform from Collins Aerospace as Qatar’s A380 business class, albeit a much more evolved and stylistically refined version for which former VA boss John Borghetti took cues from the high-end auto industry.

Qatar Airways' A380 business class.

So while it’s not the much-praised Qsuite, this remains a superb way to fly – especially when you add Qatar Airways’ excellent business class meals (which now include caviar) and service.

Qatar Airways excels at business class dining.

Then there’s the innovative inflight bar which once added a generous serve of jet-set glamour to Virgin’s flights across the Pacific.

We'd love to see the business class bar back in action.

Cleverly positioned in the plane’s main entry/exit zone, and between the two business class cabins, the bar stools and banquette seating allow passengers to enjoy a drink, snacks or even breakfast, as well as providing a space to escape from the seat and socialise with other high flyers.

It’s not known if Qatar Airways would recreate that experience, along similar lines to its A380 superjumbo bar and lounge area, or leave the space empty and unattended.

These 777s also have Virgin’s premium economy cabin of 24 recliners, which Qatar Airways offers as a Comfort+ upgrade option from economy.

Qatar Airways sells Virgin's former premium economy as Comfort+ class.

And they’ll certainly make those 15-hour flights between Australia and Doha more comfortable: the sculpted seats are not only an inch wider than the economy seats but have better back support, footrests and a generous 9” recline (compared to 6” in economy). 

Most importantly, there’s plenty of legroom, with the seats set at a 41” pitch (compared to 32” in economy).

Qatar Airways sells Virgin's former premium economy as Comfort+ class.

Alongside those three former Virgin Australia 777s, Qatar Airways is also flying four Cathay Pacific Boeing 777s leased from the HK-based airline.

If any of those come to Australia to become ‘Virgin Australia’ flights, passengers will be able to look forward to not only a solid business class product but six Cathay 777 first class berths.

Cathay Pacific's iconic and still much-loved Boeing 777 first class is now also flying on Qatar Airways.

It’s the same spacious open suite design, except that the seat upholstery has been changed to Qatar’s signature burgundy.

The ex-Cathay 777s allow Qatar Airways to extend its first class network.

This is in effect Qatar Airways’ only first class offering apart from the A380 superjumbos (although of course a new Qatar Airways 777X first class is on the way for 2026).

Stay informed: Click here to sign up to the free Executive Traveller newsletter