Virgin Australia: direct flights between Darwin & Alice Springs
By David Flynn, October 23 2014
Virgin Australia is dialling it up at Australia's top end, with its Darwin Airport lounge set to open in March along with the start of direct flights between Darwin and Alice Springs.
There will be three flights a week between the two cities, using Virgin's Boeing 737 jets, starting by the end of March.
The current sole airline on that route is Qantas' regional arm QantasLink, which runs twice-daily flights but on smaller aircraft.
“We recognise the importance of the Northern Territory as a key business and tourism destination in Australia and look forward to increasing competition on these key routes to the benefit of our customers from early next year" said Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles said he believes that competition on the Darwin-Alice route will "creating choice on this important route and hopefully driving down ticket prices for Territory passengers."
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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.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 May 2012
Total posts 371
Qantas may finally upgrade one of the services from the B717 to a B737.
11 May 2014
Total posts 6
A Service to Adeliade from Darwin would be awsome too, but finally some more competition on this route.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 461
About time Virgin did a Nonstop ex Adelaide to Darwin.Currently the only methods are a one stop via the East Coast of Australia on VA themselves or doing Code Shares via Singapore with Singapore Airlines/Silk Air for us South Australia.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Aug 2011
Total posts 41
I believe the start of this route also coincides with Virgin's new lounge opening?
30 Oct 2014
Total posts 1
I use the Qantaslink flight to Alice Springs regularly and their 717 is two thirds full at most. I'm all for competition, but will it mean Virgin and Qantas are both flying half empty aircraft for rediculously cheap airfares? Sounds like an unhealthy arrangement in the long run, we'll see how long it lasts.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
27 Jun 2011
Total posts 37
I think we will find that both DRW to ASP and ADL to ASP will operate as one flight number. Maybe routing ADL-ASP-DRW-ASP-ADL on the same day.
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