Virgin Australia today took off on its inaugural Melbourne-Hong Kong flight in textbook Virgin style. Guests at Melbourne Airport were treated to lion dancers, drummers and a 32-metre Bendigo dragon Yar Loong in a traditional procession. At the end of the performance, the carrier of the dragon’s head emerged, revealing none other than Sir Richard Branson. Traditional egg tarts and Old Town Central walking guides were also handed out at the boarding gate.
“Until today, this route has been far too cosy with just two airlines flying it and it desperately needed Virgin competition, so we’re here today to shake things up on this route,” he observed.
More than one first to celebrate
Upon departure from Melbourne at 9:40AM, Virgin Australia’s in-flight Duty Free also entered service for the first time. Passengers were also treated to Cantonese lessons (conducted with Sir Richard Branson of course), fortune cookies, and a Hong Kong-inspired menu.
Virgin Australia kicks off with five services per week between Melbourne and Hong Kong per the following schedule:
[table style=”table-condensed”]| Route | Flight Number | Depart/Arrive | Days of the week |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEL-HKG | VA89 | 0035/0815 | Tue, Thu, Sat |
| VA87 | 1025/1805 | Mon | |
| VA87 | 0940/1720 | Wed | |
| HKG-MEL | VA86 | 1950/0720(+1) | Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat |
Passengers will be flying Airbus A330-200 aircraft previously deployed on trans-continental routes within Australia. Their 255 economy seats are arranged in a comfortable 2-4-2 configuration, and fully equipped with in-flight entertainment. Seats are available to book right now at virginaustralia.com.
Photos by Virgin Australia.
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