Qantas, Virgin Australia roll out more Boeing Sky Interior 737s

At Australian Business Traveller we’re unabashed fans of the Boeing Sky Interior cabin that’s being rolled into the latest Boeing 737-800s to ply the Aussie skies.

And judging from feedback we’re not alone in our preference for the spacious and curvaceous design, which makes even a new non-BSI aircraft look old by comparison.

Some readers have asked us about how many BSI aircraft are in the Qantas and Virgin Australia fleet, so we called up the airlines to get the answer for you.

Qantas has orders for 18 Boeing 737-800s fitted with Boeing Sky Interior. The first made its debut last week (pics of its interior are below), while the remaining 17 are slated for delivery over the next two years.

Virgin Australia is ahead of the Red Roo with six BSI-equipped Boeing 737-800s already in the air.

A spokeswoman for the airline tells Australian Business Traveller that a further six are due within the next eight weeks, so that “by the end of this year we will have received 12 BSI aircraft. From next year on, we are getting around 1 BSI aircraft per month.”

At the same time, the majority of Virgin Australia’s current 737s are being refitted with the same domestic business class (above) and economy seating (below) as on the BSI aircraft – although those aircraft will retain their current and more conventional traditional, so don’t expect to see LED lighting and those larger upward-swinging overhead lockers.

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.