Late 2027 delivery date for first Virgin Australia B737-10

By Andrew Curran.

Virgin Australia expects to take delivery of the first of ten B737-10s in late 2027. The yet-to-be-certified aircraft were first ordered by Virgin Australia in 2018, but the airline says the manufacturer is now making “positive progress with US regulatory approvals” and is confident enough to publicise delivery timelines.

“This is an important investment in Virgin Australia’s future and supports our strategy to operate a modern, efficient and streamlined fleet,” said Virgin Australia CEO Dave Emerson.

The airline is yet to settle on a cabin configuration and seat count, but the B737-10 will typically seat between 188 and 204 passengers in a two-class configuration.

Virgin Australia currently operates 102 B737 aircraft, including nine B737-700s, seventy-four B737-800s and nineteen B737-8s. Its twentieth MAX 8, VH-8VF (msn 67039), will ferry to Brisbane (BNE) later this month. The B737-800s and B737-8s, currently the largest aircraft in Virgin Australia’s fleet, are being standardised to a uniform 174-seat configuration, including eight business class and 166 economy class seats.

“The B737-10 will be the largest aircraft in our fleet and will provide more capacity and flexibility across our domestic and short-haul international network,” Emerson said.

Boeing increasing B737 MAX production

Recently, B737-10 flight testing included validation of the aircraft’s autoland system - the automated technology that lands the aircraft in low-visibility conditions or demanding wind conditions. Boeing expects certification later this year but, before then, must demonstrate performance in the most extreme conditions the aircraft will encounter in service, including headwinds, tailwinds and crosswinds.

Boeing’s production of the B737 MAX and other aircraft has been hampered for several years by a series of scandals, missteps and tighter regulatory oversight.

However, the manufacturer appears to be slowly getting on top of the problems. Boeing is opening a fourth B737 MAX production line at its Everett facility in July. The “carbon copy” of the three existing production lines in Renton will increase Boeing’s B737 MAX output to 47 aircraft per month.

Boeing is also eyeing the opening of a fifth B737 MAX production line later this year or in early 2027. The manufacturer has a long-term production target of 63 MAX aircraft per month.

The MAX 10 is well suited to Virgin Australia’s higher-demand routes

The B737-10 has a range of 5,740 kilometres and can operate on all Virgin Australia routes. While there was no announcement about where the aircraft might fly, the airline said its larger seating capacity makes it well suited to high-demand routes.

Virgin Australia says the B737-10 would deliver a 20% reduction in fuel use and CO₂ emissions per seat compared with the B737-800.

“The B737-10 builds on the benefits we are already seeing from our new-generation aircraft, including lower fuel burn, lower emissions and improved passenger comfort,” added Emerson. “Virgin Australia has now been operating the B737 MAX aircraft for three years.”

Over that period, Virgin Australia says its B737 MAX operations are estimated to have saved approximately 30 million litres of fuel and cut more than 77,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions compared with the previous-generation B737-800.

Virgin Australia is midway through a fleet renewal programme. Aside from the B737-10s on order, it has another seven B737-8s due for delivery. The airline expects to have those seven aircraft on the ground in Brisbane by the end of the year.

In addition, its sibling Virgin Group carrier, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA), has recently taken delivery of four E190-E2s and has another four due. Those aircraft are primarily operating on fly-in fly-out charter routes in Western Australia, replacing older aircraft types, including VARA’s handful of remaining A320-200s, which are due to be removed from schedules later this month.

Photo: Virgin Australia.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com