Virgin America Orders Up Like a Gazillion More Planes
Just when Emirates shocks with orders for 32 new, giant A380s, making their total superjumbo order 90-strong, along comes the announcement from Virgin America that they've placed orders for forty new Airbus A320s, with the option for an additional twenty beyond that by 2018.
Okay, so nothing can really beat Emirates' splurge, but the Virgin America announcement is noteworthy in that it will triple the airline's fleet, and the new aircraft—to be delivered beginning in 2013—will feature the newish "sharklets," a larger and redesigned version of the American flag-painted winglets you'll currently find on the tips of the plane wings. Aside from reminding us of the awesome "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel, sharklets mean fuel savings and increased eco-efficiency for VX's already pretty green-conscious fleet.
So where will Virgin America's shiny new A320s be flying? Well, the airline still has at least another year to decide that, but a larger fleet obviously means increased destinations, and we're still pulling for a Chicago route. We see the potential for more Canada and Mexico routes, since their hype with the Toronto launch and upcoming Cabo San Lucas/Cancun routes seem to be doing well. Perhaps New York will get more options, or—hold your breath—they'll start flying to Austin?
Where do you want to see Virgin America flying? Think they'll ever muscle into Chicago-O'Hare?
[Plane photos: Virgin America; Photoshop: Jaunted]
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