Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA) is evaluating a replacement for its four aging Fokker 100 jets, according to an internal memo seen by local media.
Among the alternatives are the Airbus A220-100, a smaller version of the aircraft, and the Embraer E190-E2.
“These are new generation aircraft providing superior performance compared to the F100, lower fuel consumption and emissions through the employment of geared turbofan engines, enhanced customer product and operational performance,” said VARA executive general manager Nathan Miller in the memo.
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According to him, the company plans to have at least four new generation aircraft based in Perth, Western Australia, from mid-2025.
The jets would mainly fly charter flights in addition to regular routes in periods when charter demand is low.
A220 and Embraer jets in Australia
Virgin Australia Regional Airlines has four Fokker 100s with an average age of 32 years. These are aircraft that initially flew with USAir (now part of American Airlines) and Midway, as well as an example used by the manufacturer itself.
The aircraft have 100 economy class seats, less than the nominal capacity of the Dutch regional jet.
The region also has seven Airbus A320s while Virgin Australia operates 87 Boeing 737NG and MAX.
In Australia, the A220 debuted on QantasLink, but in the higher capacity -300 variant. Embraer’s E-Jets are present at Alliance Aviation in addition to an E190-E2 being operated by Pionair.
