Virgin Australia has unveiled the new interiors of the dual-class Embraer E190-E2 narrowbody jets to be used for the carrier’s Western Australian charter market.
Embraer officially commenced assembly of the first E190-E2 aircraft in March 2025, with four of the eight new aircraft set to be delivered to the Group’s regional business, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA), within 12 months.
The first aircraft, named ‘Coral Bay’, is scheduled to enter into service by October 2025.
“We have opted for a dual-class layout, which actually gives us three product options when you include our extra legroom option, Economy X,” VARA Executive General Manager, Nathan Miller said.
“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,” Miller added.
Miller said that the group had “very positive feedback” since it announced acquisition of the E190-E2s, mainly due to the fact that the order will be the first brand-new aircraft in the Western Australian charter market.
All aircraft will be fitted with Virgin Australia’s Wi-Fi connectivity and in-flight entertainment (via guests’ own personal devices), as well as in-seat power.
“Our customers are excited about the two-plus-two layout in our economy cabin, which means there are no middle seats. There is enough room in the cabin for every guest to have a bag in the overhead bin. The seats are more spacious than the outgoing Fokker 100s, which gives our guests an improved flying experience,” Miller said.
Miller also noted that the E2 had “impressive sustainability credentials”, as well as the lowest noise profile of any aircraft in its segment.
“The lower noise profile is great news for communities surrounding the airport considering many of our departures are early in the morning,” Miller said. “From a sustainability perspective, the E2 is the most fuel-efficient aircraft in its segment and will reduce emissions by up to 30 per cent compared to the outgoing Fokker 100s.”
VARA has also announced that it is planning to officially open a new hangar at Perth Airport (PER) in the coming months, which will be a base for the airline’s engineering team.
