Il gruppo include le compagnie Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue e V Australia
Virgin Blue celebrates half-year profit with commitment for 50 737s
By Robert Fenner
Feb. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd., Australia’s second-largest airline, said it reached an agreement “in principle” with Boeing Co. to order as many as 50 of its 737 planes after returning to profit in the first half.
The aircraft will bolster capacity on domestic routes, Brisbane-based Virgin Blue said in a statement today without elaboration. The company posted net income of A$62.5 million ($56 million) in the six months ended December after a loss of A$101.4 million a year earlier.
Larger rival Qantas Airways Ltd. has also ordered new aircraft as travel demand in Australia has avoided the worst of the global recession. Virgin Blue boosted first-half profit and increased sales on domestic routes as reduced capacity offset a 1.1 percent decline in passenger numbers.
“We plan to vigorously defend our core domestic markets,” Chief Executive Officer Brett Godfrey, 46, said in the statement. The new 737s will be fitted with upgraded Boeing Sky Interiors and they will also benefit from fuel-efficiency and maintenance improvements, he said.
The carrier fell 1.6 percent to 61 Australian cents at the close of trading in Sydney. The stock has advanced 3.4 percent this year after more than doubling in 2009.
The company also said that it has drawn up a short-list of candidates to replace Godfrey, who plans to retire this year. Godfrey helped set up Virgin Blue in 2000 with two planes and A$10 million from Richard Branson.
The company affirmed its forecast for annual pretax profit of between A$80 million and A$110 million.
Virgin Blue celebrates half-year profit with commitment for 50 737s
By Robert Fenner
Feb. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd., Australia’s second-largest airline, said it reached an agreement “in principle” with Boeing Co. to order as many as 50 of its 737 planes after returning to profit in the first half.
The aircraft will bolster capacity on domestic routes, Brisbane-based Virgin Blue said in a statement today without elaboration. The company posted net income of A$62.5 million ($56 million) in the six months ended December after a loss of A$101.4 million a year earlier.
Larger rival Qantas Airways Ltd. has also ordered new aircraft as travel demand in Australia has avoided the worst of the global recession. Virgin Blue boosted first-half profit and increased sales on domestic routes as reduced capacity offset a 1.1 percent decline in passenger numbers.
“We plan to vigorously defend our core domestic markets,” Chief Executive Officer Brett Godfrey, 46, said in the statement. The new 737s will be fitted with upgraded Boeing Sky Interiors and they will also benefit from fuel-efficiency and maintenance improvements, he said.
The carrier fell 1.6 percent to 61 Australian cents at the close of trading in Sydney. The stock has advanced 3.4 percent this year after more than doubling in 2009.
The company also said that it has drawn up a short-list of candidates to replace Godfrey, who plans to retire this year. Godfrey helped set up Virgin Blue in 2000 with two planes and A$10 million from Richard Branson.
The company affirmed its forecast for annual pretax profit of between A$80 million and A$110 million.