Virgin Australia is saying goodbye to the last of its Airbus A320s, according to Australian Aviation. The report says the airline has been gradually phasing out four A320-200s that came across from former low-cost arm Tigerair.
It is a small fleet change on paper, but a noticeable one in Australian airline history. The A320s sat a little apart from Virgin Australia’s mainline Boeing 737 operation, and their retirement marks another step in cleaning up the post-Tigerair fleet mix.
Australian Aviation reports that Virgin Australia Regional Airlines jet flying is being taken over by Boeing 737s and the new Embraer E190-E2s. That points to a more standardised narrowbody and regional jet structure, rather than keeping a small number of older A320s in the system.
The aviation planning angle is simple: fewer aircraft types generally mean fewer separate streams for training, maintenance planning, parts support and operational procedures. That does not make one aircraft type “safer” than another, but it can reduce complexity inside an airline’s regulated operating environment.
For regional operations in particular, fleet consistency can matter when schedules, crew availability and maintenance windows are tight. It is also another reminder that airline fleets are always moving.
Related context: Aircraft charter costs
Source: Virgin Australia bids farewell to the last of its A320s
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