Last year, Virgin Australia announce that it was buying Embraer E190-E2 jets as replacements for its aging Fokker fleet. These aircraft are intended to be operated by Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA) within Western Australia.
With the first aircraft beginning assembly, Virgin Australia has unveiled the internal layout of the aircraft. One of the surprises is that the aircraft will feature both a Business and an Economy cabin. As VARA Executive General Manager, Nathan Miller explains
We have opted for a dual-class layout, which actually gives us three product options when you include our extra legroom option, Economy X.
It means we have the flexibility to use the aircraft for regular commercial operations on the days of the week when there is less charter demand and leisure traffic is higher.
Business Class
The E-190 will have the same number of Business seats as the larger Boeing 737s. However, those 8 seats will be in quite a different layout.
On the E190, Virgin is adopting a 1-2 layout, due to the narrowness of the cabin. On one side, there will be three rows of two seats. However, on the other side, there will just be two rows of a single seat (which look to be rows 2 and 3). If you are travelling solo, these may be a good option. Passengers in these seats get both an aisle and a window seat.
Economy
In the economy cabin, customers will see a 2-2 layout. This means if you forget to select a seat, you won’t be stuck in a middle seat. Everyone gets an aisle or a window. That said, Virgin have not disclosed just how many rows there will be in Economy.
Passengers in both cabins will find USB power available. In addition, in-flight high bandwidth wifi will be available. However, passengers wishing to enjoy the in flight entertainment will need to bring their own devices.
Final Words
Virgin Australia is expecting the first of its new aircraft to arrive in October. This aircraft, going by the name of ‘Coral Bay’, is the first of four to be delivered over 12 months.
These aircraft will be based in Perth, and will primarily serve routes around Western Australia. That said, VARA aircraft do seem to make journeys east on occasion,
