Virgin Blue has announced a two week fare sale to celebrate the return of competition to the Melbourne-Darwin market with non-stop flights commencing on the route from 28 April 2009. The airline has also re-affirmed its commitment to Western Australia by introducing direct flights between Darwin and Perth from the same date.
Virgin Blue’s new Melbourne-Darwin service will depart the Victorian capital late in the evening six times a week, arriving in the top end in the early morning. The return flight will depart Darwin at 6.15pm and arrive in Melbourne at 10.55pm.
The new Melbourne-Darwin services will carry overnight freight loads under an extension of Virgin Blue’s freight agreement with close partner Toll Priority, enabling the airline to offer affordable fares between Melbourne and Darwin.
Flights between Darwin and Perth will operate daily, departing Darwin at 7.00am arriving in Perth at 9.20am before turning around and landing back in Darwin at 4.25pm the same day. The airline has committed a Boeing 737-800 aircraft to the new routes.
In celebration of the new services Virgin Blue has launched a 14 day sale with special fares available from today until Thursday 26 March 2009, for travel from 28 April until 14 June, 2009:
Melbourne-Darwin: $99* one way on the internet (regular lead-in fares will start from $159 one way)
Darwin-Perth: $149* one way on the internet (regular lead-in fares will start from $279 one way)
