Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia was founded in 2000 by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Brett Godfrey, launching commercial operations as Virgin Blue in August of that year. The airline entered the Australian market in the wake of Ansett Australia's collapse, quickly establishing itself as the country's second major carrier behind Qantas. Originally positioned as a low-cost operator, it rebranded to Virgin Australia in 2011 as it repositioned itself as a full-service airline competing directly in the corporate and premium leisure segments.

The airline is headquartered in Brisbane and operates its main hub from Brisbane Airport, with significant operations also based at Sydney and Melbourne. Its network concentrates on domestic routes connecting Australian capital cities and regional centres, alongside short- and medium-haul international services to destinations across the Pacific, Southeast Asia and New Zealand. The fleet is built around the Boeing 737 family, predominantly the 737-800, with 737-8 MAX aircraft progressively entering service, while regional turboprop operations are handled through its subsidiary network.

Virgin Australia is not a member of any of the three global alliances, but maintains extensive codeshare and interline partnerships with carriers including Qatar Airways, United Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Air Canada. Its Velocity Frequent Flyer programme is one of the largest loyalty schemes in Australia and allows members to earn and redeem points across a broad partner network. The airline also offers a domestic business class product that is well regarded for lounge access and inflight service.

After entering voluntary administration in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline was acquired by US private equity firm Bain Capital and restructured around a simplified mid-market model. It has since returned to profitability, though it continues to face intense competition from Qantas and Jetstar in its home market.