Virgin orders more A330-900s

With a Virgin Airbus A330-900 present at the 2024 Farnborough Air Show, a new order from that airline for the type wasn't really a surprise. And indeed, on 23 July 2024, both companies announced that the airline has placed an order for seven more A330-900s. In total, the airline has now ordered or secured leases for nineteen of the type.

Virgin Atlantic will use the aircraft to renew its fleet and will most likely be used to (partially) replace some of its seventeen B787-9s in the fleet as their leases will be expiring in the coming years. Although not officially confirmed, retiring the Dreamliners from the fleet will make sense as the airline will then be an all-Airbus operator, simplifying its operations.

Next to the mentioned B787-9s, Virgin's fleet is made-up of ten A330-300s, five A330-900s, and twelve A350-1000s.

Illustration by Airbus.