Virgin Blue to launch direct Alice Springs-Adelaide flights and suspend Sydney-Alice Springs service

Virgin Blue is to begin services between Adelaide and Alice Springs from 31 October 2004.

To celebrate the launch of this new route the airline is committing to offer 99 seats on every flight during its first month of operating this new route for the special price of A$99 for bookings made until midnight 21 August for travel between 31 October and 8 December 2004. After the introductory offer everyday low fares will start from A$149 one way on the net.

Adelaide – Alice Springs is a natural market for Virgin Blue as the route is currently only serviced by one carrier and comes after discussions in July with key stakeholders in Alice Springs who made it clear that affordable and convenient links to Adelaide were something that would be valued by numerous Territorians.

The airline will also offer convenient connections from Alice Springs to Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne and Sydney via its Adelaide hub.

David Huttner, Head of Strategy and Communications for Virgin Blue, said, “The Alice-Adelaide run is likely to cater to a wide cross section from both communities including cost conscious business travellers, people looking for an exciting weekend getaway, those travelling to see medical specialists, and of course adventurers taking a one way flight back from an outback overland experience.”

Virgin Blue intends to operate the route on a daily basis, but will start off with 4 weekly services during the low season. At the same time, the airline will suspend its direct Sydney-Alice Springs service, but will continue to serve the important city pair with convenient connections via Adelaide.

Mr. Huttner added, “During our July discussion in Alice Springs, Virgin Blue worked with various stakeholders to ensure that services to this important tourist destination remained viable and the Centre was not returned to the high priced monopolistic situation it faced before the arrival of Virgin Blue.

The discussions highlighted that the variety of increasing costs, set against a strong leisure traffic skew, was making it difficult to maintain the low fares that Virgin Blue brought to the Alice Springs market last year. By offering services to the Red Centre through the shorter flight sectors offered from South Australia, Virgin Blue can continue to keep its promise that it will do its utmost to ensure Territorians benefit from low fare competition on a sustainable basis.”

The airline stated that guests booked on the existing Alice Springs to Sydney services beyond 30 October 2004 will be contacted by the Virgin Blue Guest Contact Centre Team to organise alternative flights on Virgin Blue or will be given a full credit or refund if no satisfactory solution can be found.