VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Cancels Cairns to Tokyo route 2025
Australia’s Virgin was criticised from the start for using a single-aisle Boeing 737-800 aircraft on this route when it commenced in June 2023. I’m not sure I would be happy on a 7-hour route on a single-aisle aircraft. Mind you I did briefly contemplate a 7-hour route on one with Oman Air earlier this year.
“We know this is disappointing news and we are sorry for the impact this decision will have on those guests booked to travel with us from 24 February 2025.”
Alistair Hartley, Virgin Australia Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer
Virgin Australia’s last flight on the once-daily route will be on 24 February 2025. The cancellation will have minimal impact, affecting only about 2,000 passengers, who will be offered a full refund. Alternatively, they can be moved to Virgin’s partner, All Nippon Airways, which runs 17 services per week between Australia and Japan.
![Virgin Australia new interior for the Boeing 737-8 and their new MAX jets [Virgin Australia]](https://www.2paxfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Virgin-Australia-va-737-new-interior-2021-1196x675.jpg)
Reasons for cancellation
The issue isn’t Australians flying to Tokyo, it’s Japanese flying to Australia. Virgin says that inbound visitors travelling from Japan to Australia have not recovered post-COVID, remaining stubbornly at 35% of pre-COVID levels.
With the Yen depreciating in value against the Australian Dollar, its just made travel to Australia forJapanese travellers nearly 40 % more expensive than back in 2019 pre-COVID.
The tropical Cairns route was allways targetted at bringing Japanese inbound tourists to the balmy far north Queensland. The lack of that market sealed the route’s fate.
The freed-up aircraft will be redeployed on domestic routes, so expect some additional scheduled flights on popular routes.
Qantas will swollow this up
Australians can’t wait to visit Japan, given the strength of the Aussie dollar against the Yen. Travel to Japan has soared since they re-opened their borders. But the Japanese are staying home. They are no just eschewing Australia. Japanese travel is down everywhere.
Qantas coudl make hay while the sun shines, and gobble up the vacated Virgin Australia landing spot at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
Qantas currently offers 28 flights pwer week between Australia and Japan. There’s even two flights a day between Sydney and Tokyo. Melbourne and Brisbane host daily flights.
2PAXfly Takeout
Given the availability of flights with ANA, Qantas and Japan Airlines, Virgin was probably flogging a bit of a dead horse with the single aisle Boeing 737s on this 7 hour route.
Given the downturn in outbound Japanese tourism, the writing has probably been on the wall for this route for Virgin Australia for some time. Commencing the route with old Boeing 737-700s didn’t help before putting newly arrived 737-800MAXs on the route, didn’t help.
Watching competition diminish in any market is unfortunate. But given the circumstances and the uncomeptitive product, this is really no surprise.
Townsville would love to have trial/seasonal flights to Singapore with the spare Virgin Max-8. Yes we all would all like wide body aircraft . Beggars cant be chooses. For the people of Townsville it is better than paying $570 return Townsville/Cairns/Townsville, or flying South to Brisbane, at great cost. Singapore Airlines did this flight out of Cairns ( CNS,SIN,CNS,) very successfully for the last 3-4years first with 737-800 then upgraded to 10 business LAY DOWN seats.144 economy with a Max-8. Since March they have,( SQ ) have deployed an A350.
I flew on a Max -8 twice found it comfortable. Admittedly it was not 6-7 hours . Beggars cant be chooses.
Bill, Nice thought, and I personally am a fan of Townsville over Cairns. But I think your chances are somewhere between Buckleys & Nunn.
Hi 2paxfly
I enjoy your articles, thanks for your reply.
Can you give me some insight what Townsville has to do ??
With a population of over 290,000 strong economy, things to see and do.
Townsville would have a strong case for trial/ seasonal flights for starters ?
I would appreciate your input. Keep the good work.
Bill, I can claim no expertise in this area. All I can look at is evidence of cooperation between government, tourist bodies and airports when new routes are commenced. Money, of course is also in these arrangements, often with state and sometimes local governments reaching into their pockets with payments to airlines and/or airports. The Queensland Government has certainly done that to bring flights into Brisbane from China.
So, I think your first stop would be your local tourist body and the owners of the airport. Good Luck.