Virgin Australia will offer a reduced schedule on its flights from Australia to Los Angeles in late 2017 and early 2018 as its Boeing 777-300ERs undergo scheduled maintenance.
There will be three fewer flights a week under the temporary schedule which will be on operation during a two-month period from October 17 to December 5 2017, and again from February 2 to March 23 2018.
The airline’s daily VA1/2 Sydney-Los Angeles rotation will be cut to five flights a week, while the VA23/24 Melbourne-Los Angeles will drop to four flights per week, compared with five currently. Brisbane-Los Angeles will remain at six flights a week, Virgin said on Thursday.
“We have had to cancel some Los Angeles flights as heavy maintenance is required on our Boeing 777 aircraft fleet,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson told Australian Aviation in an emailed statement.
“We have worked to minimise the disruption to our customers and will be in touch with those affected to provide reaccommodation options.”
Virgin Australia’s trans-Pacific alliance partner Delta Air Lines operates a daily Sydney-Los Angeles service with Boeing 777-200LR equipment.
Virgin Australia’s fleet of five 777-300ER widebodies are deployed only on flights between Australia and Los Angeles.
In previous years, the airline opted to cancel its three times weekly flight to Abu Dhabi when its big Boeing twins were due for extended maintenance checks or when undergoing cabin upgrades. However, that is no longer an option since Virgin Australia dropped Sydney-Abu Dhabi 777-300ER flights in February 2017.
