Virgin jet rebranded

[Mwenenzi]

From Virgin jet rebranded - Business: press.co.nz

In a sign of hard times, Australian budget carrier Virgin Blue has painted one of its new, small 104-seater Embraer 190-aircraft fleet in the livery of its New Zealand Pacific Blue subsidiary so it can fly international routes.

It was preparing two more in the same livery so it could have flexibility, chief executive Brett Godfrey said when launching the airline's V Australia inaugural Pacific flight from Sydney to Los Angeles.
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[Mal]

"In a sign of hard times, Australian budget carrier Virgin Blue has painted one of its new, small 104-seater Embraer 190-aircraft fleet in the livery of its New Zealand Pacific Blue subsidiary so it can fly international routes."

I believe this was always the intention for the Embraer's. I doubt "hard times" has anything to do with it.

 

[Nigelinoz]

I think it's a pretty poorly written story really,I'm told by a Virgin staffer friend that they ordered 4 Embraers in Pacific Blue colours well before the downturn .
There is a photo of one of them,just out of the factory.
Aero World News Photos
Later on in the article the writer states,
" Last year when the recession started biting and fuel prices rocketed, Virgin Blue halted the introduction of new routes and plane orders for Australia"
which is funny considering that they have just taken delivery of two new 777's and also announced new routes for V Blue.