Virgin Australia Announces New Routes

Virgin Australia has announced it will begin service to Uluru in June 2024 as part of its ongoing effort to expand its domestic network.

Uluru Flights Coming Soon

The Australian carrier says it’ll launch flights to Uluru from Brisbane and Melbourne and, to celebrate, is offering fares as low as $129 one way in economy for select travel dates.

Virgin’s Uluru service from Melbourne will begin on June 6, 2024, and operate four times a week. Service departures will occur on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Meanwhile, its Brisbane flight will launch one day later, on June 7, 2024, operating thrice weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Tuesdays.

Its Melbourne-to-Uluru service will offer up to 3,100 seats per month during peak season. Brisbane will see 2,300 seats per month in each direction.

Previously, Virgin Australia operated Uluru flights out of Sydney. However, this was before the pandemic. Sydney customers who want to fly to the Red Centre will soon be able to do so via connections in Melbourne and/or Brisbane.

The Importance Of Uluru For Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia says service to Uluru is essential as a leading domestic carrier.

Virgin Australia launched the routes in partnership with the Northern Territory Government and Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, the latter operating the Ayers Rock Resort.

Injecting 62,000 seats per year now to the Red Centre will allow Australians to enjoy the country’s spiritual heartland, as described by Virgin Australia.

Virgin Australia will also directly support the growth of the Indigenous tourism sector as these new services arrive toward the midway point of 2024.

Virgin Australia’s Fleet

The Australian carrier flies several aircraft types across its mainline fleet, most notably the arrival of the company’s first 737-8, part of the MAX series.

Beyond the 737 MAX, the airline relies heavily on a fleet of 737-800s and 737-700s for domestic operations, with 72 737-800s in service.

These Boeing 737s average 11.9 and 13.8 years old, respectively.

Comments From Executives

Uluru is a special place in Australia and a cultural landmark that identifies this wonderful country to the world. We look forward to once again connecting Australians and international tourists alike, to the spiritual heartland of Australia,” said Ms Hrdlicka. We are also proud to be offering direct flights to Uluṟu from Melbourne and Brisbane for the first time. The forecast demand from these cities, coupled with excellent connectivity from our international airline partners, will provide a much-needed tourism boost to the region.  Greater competition in the market and more seat capacity to Uluru will also provide travellers with more choice and value next time they fly to the Red Centre.

Virgin Australia CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka

Whether it’s still on the bucket list or a much-loved destination, visiting Uluru is a must-do for international and Australian travellers alike. These new routes deliver more choice for travel to the NT, but also an abundance of convenient international connections through Virgin Australia’s global network of partners. Demand to visit Uluru is incredibly strong – driven by a wealth of amazing cultural experiences including the world-first $10 million cultural drone and storytelling experience, Wintjiri Wiru – and we can’t wait to roll out the red carpet for Virgin Australia’s return to the Red Centre.

Matt Cameron-Smith, CEO of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia

In Summary

Virgin Australia in 2024 will launch two new services to Uluru as part of a continued domestic network expansion.

The carrier will offer connections from Melbourne and Brisbane four and thrice weekly, respectively.