VIRGIN BLUE is a lot bigger than you might think and the airline, established in 2000 and now majority owned by Australia”s Patrick Corporation has over the last weekend taken delivery of its 50 New Generation Boeing 737. The livery features a blue fuselage with red highlights, the opposite to the existing fleet of red aircraft with blue highlights. The aircraft also has a unique interior which celebrates the efforts of all Virgin Blue team members who have been part of building Virgin Blue into one of the most successful and profitable airlines in the world. The interior stowage bins also carry the names of all staff members, from founder Sir Richard Branson and CEO Brett Godfrey, to ground staff, cabin crew and support services giving recognition to the 5,687 number of team members who have worked for Virgin Blue from the time that the airline launched in August 2000. Since the airline”s introduction Ansett Airlines has collapsed (with its former CEO taking a short busman”s holiday at British Airways), Impulse Airlines has become part of Qantas, the introduction of Virgin Blue”s international carrier Pacific Blue, the launch of Qantas no frills off-shoot Jetstar, numerous perceived ”airfare wars”, and record high jet fuel prices.
http://www.virginblue.com.au