Well, we actually don’t know where Virgin America’s next destination will be, but we do know the airline just purchased 40 new Airbus A320 aircraft, with options for 20 additional aircraft. What’s this mean? Well, more planes mean more flights; more flights mean new routes; new routes means… well, you get the point.
So far this year Virgin America announced new routes into Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Toronto. Rumors are still flying high about the airlines’ potential entry into Mexico, and the Midwest is still hopeful the big red planes will land in Chicago but for now, we just have additional planes… no additional destination confirmations.
From Virgin America:
The new aircraft would be delivered from 2013 through 2016 – with 10 firm orders per year on average, and options for 20 additional aircraft in 2017-2018. With today’s order of 40 new aircraft and growth from other sources, Virgin America’s fleet is projected to grow from its current 28 aircraft to 90 aircraft by 2016.
The beauty of these news planes is the fuel-saving “Sharklet” option that is available beginning in late 2012 on A320 aircraft. These sharklets were designed to enhance the “eco-efficiency and payload-range performance of the A320 aircraft,” which Airbus says will reduce fuel burn at least 3.5 percent on long hauls.
Virgin America has operated via the Airbus A320 since its launch. So, with the addition of 40 new aircraft coming in, where do you think Virgin America’s next destination should be?