Virgin Australia has officially re-entered the long-haul market, with its first direct service from Sydney to Doha departing this afternoon at 2.50pm.
Operated under flight number VA1, the journey marks a significant milestone for the airline, with the aircraft – a Boeing 777 – wet-leased from strategic partner Qatar Airways.
The new daily service will land in the Qatari capital at 10.50pm local time and provides passengers with streamlined access to more than 170 destinations worldwide, thanks to the airlines’ reciprocal codeshare agreement.
Virgin Australia marked the occasion with a celebratory event at Sydney Airport this week, attended by newly appointed CEO Dave Emerson, Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton, and uniformed crew from both airlines.
Speaking at the launch, Emerson said the inaugural flight was “a really exciting and historical milestone” in the airline’s evolution.
“Our new service is going to offer more choice, more value and more exciting destinations to Australian consumers,” he said.
“It’s not only good for our customers and for Virgin, but it’s also great for the Australian economy.”
The new route is expected to inject more than $3 billion into the Australian economy, with hundreds of jobs to be created across tourism, travel and hospitality sectors.
First and business class travellers onboard the new service will enjoy an elevated inflight dining experience, with rotating menus designed by Ross Lusted of Sydney’s acclaimed Woodcut restaurant. Dishes highlight seasonal and sustainable Australian produce and include items such as Kgari spanner crab cakes and lamb osso bucco.
To celebrate the launch, Virgin Australia is also offering a 15% discount on selected fares to Doha and onward destinations.
In addition, Velocity Frequent Flyer members booking eligible Virgin-operated flights to Doha before 30 June for travel between 1 October 2024 and 26 May 2026 will earn a 50% status credit bonus.
This bonus contributes to Virgin’s revised Velocity programme requirements, which now stipulate that at least half of all status credits must be earned on Virgin Australia-operated services to maintain or upgrade frequent flyer status.
