Virgin Australia unveils cabin of the future and $110 million fleet-wide aircraft upgrade

More than 3,000 Virgin Australia team members and their families celebrated the arrival of the airline’s first fuel-efficient Boeing 737-8 aircraft which touched down on Australian soil last week.
The celebrations, part of a Virgin Australia Family Day at the airline’s Brisbane Hangar, was hosted by CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka and Boeing’s President of Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, Maria Fernandez, who welcomed team members from across the Virgin Australia business, many who flew in from interstate to have a first look at the new aircraft.
- Thousands of Virgin Australia team members and their families welcomed the airline’s first Boeing 737-8 aircraft at its Brisbane Hangar today
- Part of the airline’s fleet renewal program, the brand-new, latest-generation aircraft, will reduce emissions by at least 15 per cent per flight supporting the airline’s commitment to targeting net zero emissions by 2050
- Following research from a two-year prototype study, the airline has unveiled a new cabin interior for its Boeing 737-8 aircraft, featuring up to 50 per cent extra overhead locker space when compared to the airline’s existing Boeing 737 aircraft
- Virgin Australia’s remaining Boeing 737 fleet will undergo a cabin refurbishment valued at approximately $110 million, featuring new Business Class and Economy seats, in-seat power for all seats, and in-flight Wi-Fi to majority of aircraft
- Virgin Australia has flown almost 19 million customers domestically in the past 12 months, signalling the highest annual number of domestic passengers carried in the airline’s history
Fresh from the Boeing factory in Seattle and featuring that new plane smell, the Boeing 737-8 aircraft marks an exciting new milestone in the transformation of Virgin Australia with its fleet renewal program well underway as the airline continues to work towards its net zero emissions target by 2050.

Virgin Australia Business Class
The aircraft is one of 33 fuel-efficient Boeing 737-8 and 737-10 aircraft Virgin Australia has on order, with more fuel-efficient aircraft set to be delivered in the coming months.
With the arrival of the Boeing 737-8, Virgin Australia has also revealed its highly anticipated new Business Class and Economy cabin interior as well as confirming plans to refresh the interior cabins on the airline’s remaining Boeing fleet, as part of an investment of approximately $110 million to improve the flying experience for customers.
Highlight features of the new Boeing 737-8 cabin interior, include:
- In-seat power for all Business Class and Economy seats
- Larger overhead lockers, with the capacity to stow up to 50 per cent more carry-on baggage (individual guest carry-on luggage limits will not increase).
- Wider Business Class seats which also feature leg rests with extendable footrests, storage compartments, tablet/device holders and water bottle holders
- A new Economy seat design, featuring a ribbed backing to elevate comfort and ergonomics
- A personal tablet/device holder for all Economy seats, making it easy to view Virgin Australia in-flight entertainment, movies and TV shows
The interior refresh and product upgrade across Virgin Australia’s remaining Boeing fleet will commence later this year, with the work set to be complete in the next two years, subject to operational requirements.
The upgrade includes:
- Installation of in-seat power for all Business Class and Economy seats
- Installation of new Business Class seats, consistent with the new Boeing 737-8 aircraft
- Installation of new or refreshed Economy seats, with seat design to be consistent with the new Boeing 737-8 aircraft
- Introduction of in-flight Wi-Fi and complimentary in-flight entertainment (via a guest’s own personal device) to the majority of the remaining fleet
An entirely new seat configuration will also be rolled out through the introduction of a new design cabin divider between Business Class and Economy.

Plenty of room for (normal sized!) bags.
The new divider will allow for greater floor space in the Economy cabin and the subsequent installation of between six and 12 additional Economy seats. The refurbishment will also include the replacement of one Economy X row with Economy seating on all Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Once the cabin refresh program is complete, the unified in-flight offering will deliver more seats for travellers and a consistent guest experience across all flights operated by Virgin Australia Boeing 737 aircraft.
Virgin Australia Group CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka said she was excited to welcome the Boeing 737-8 aircraft into the fleet.
“It is wonderful to be here celebrating the arrival of our new fuel-efficient aircraft with the wider Virgin Australia family,” said Ms Hrdlicka.

The new aircraft at Family Day.
“Our people are the special sauce at Virgin Australia, and we are thrilled to be giving them and their families the first look at this aircraft and its new interior. It is hard not to feel excited and inspired when you are in a hangar with a new aircraft, and maybe today we will inspire the next generation of Virgin Australia employees, with so many of our team members’ kids in the room.
“Today is also an important milestone for Virgin Australia as we grow and renew our fleet and continue investing in our onboard guest experience.
“Sustainability is so important for the future of the airline industry globally and fleet renewal is a major step in reducing carbon emissions intensity,” she said.
“We anticipate our fleet renewal program, together with other fuel efficiency initiatives, will support over 80 per cent of our 2030 interim target to reduce Virgin Australia’s carbon emission intensity by 22 per cent.”
Speaking about the new cabin interiors, Virgin Australia Group Chief Customer and Digital Officer, Paul Jones, said:
“In 2021 we introduced a prototype cabin interior on two Boeing 737-800 aircraft, and over the last couple of years we’ve been able to obtain feedback from our guests, which enables us to enhance our entire Boeing fleet with the features that are most important to them.
We’ve always said that we are a business that listens to its customers, and this is a testament to that.
“If you look at the business community, what matters most to them outside of network schedule is in-seat power and in-flight Wi-Fi, so I’m really excited that will feature on the majority of our fleet. There’s also a huge number of customers who fly with us for leisure who value in-seat power for a different reason – powering devices to keep their kids entertained, or streaming and bingeing on the latest must-see shows.
“With the reconfiguration of our cabin interior, we are also able to add more seats to the market without changing the legroom experience, providing Australian travellers with even more choice and great value airfares as well as a consistent in-flight experience,” he said.
President of Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, Maria Fernandez said:
It’s wonderful to see Virgin Australia’s first 737-8 in Brisbane, and I congratulate our entire 737 team on its delivery including Boeing Aerostructures Australia in Melbourne, which produced the rudder, winglets and ailerons.
“This aircraft is incredibly fuel efficient and quiet; it also serves as a symbol of our long and growing partnership with Virgin Australia as we collaborate on sustainability initiatives that are important to both our companies and stakeholders.”
Today’s announcement follows the launch of Virgin Australia’s new Tokyo services – the first time the airline has operated flights between Australia and Japan. The new Boeing 737-8 aircraft is scheduled to start flying on this route on 30 July 2023.
Latest News

Klook hosts inaugural Partner Awards with Tourism Australia’s Pip Harrison as special guest
Travel activities and experiences booking platform, Klook, held its inaugural Klook Partner Awards event in Sydney last night honouring its top-performing and best-loved merchant partners. Tourism Australia’s Pip Harrison, who was invited to the event as the guest of honour, spoke about the importance of experiences. “I think that experiences are absolutely everything,” she said. […]

APT Travel Group launches early release of 2026 Canada and Alaska Holidays
For anyone with clients craving an icy getaway, APT is serving up some steals right now.

Film, photography and so much more to explore this year in Berlin
Often known for its grungy aesthetics, or perhaps a currywurst stall, there's so much more on offer this year in Berlin.

TravelManagers welcomes two new directors to HOTA Board
We wish Narendra and Judith the best of luck in trying to remember the rest of the Boards' names.

Tauck celebrates 100 years of hosting travellers around the globe
Tauck would only ever celebrate its 100th birthday in pure style - and Italy is just that!

Travelglobe unveils exclusive food tour with MasterChef’s Kirsten Tibballs
Fancy brushing up on your skills making delicious chocolate and pastry-based treats? Meet us on this tour!

Fiji Airways to bring South Australians closer to paradise with third weekly flight from Adelaide in April
South Australians might say they're already in Paradise, but how can they be sure without checking Fiji out?

Bookings for Vanuatu surge with Aussies ready to support earthquake-struck tourism hotspot
In times like those Vanuatu is surfacing from, the tourism dollar goes a long way and Aussies aren't holding back.

Bullo River Station shares its first ever sustainability report
If you would like to be inspired to be a little more green, then check out what Bullo River Station is up to.

‘Fortune favours the bold’: luxury brand leader Anna Burgdorf departs Flight Centre after 6 years
Time for a pop quiz - who first came up with above quote? Was it A) Virgil B) Shakespeare or C) Aristotle?

Cruise Guru unveils Channel Nine show featuring Ponant, Viking, NCL and more
A little offended that we weren't invited on as the 'Cruise Guru' ourselves, but we'll be tuning in regardless.

Explore Worldwide gives agents a chance to win an exclusive Sri Lanka famil
It's like finding a ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! And the prize is even better than unlimited sweets.

Heathrow Airport to upgrade operations as part of multi-billion-pound cash injection
We're usually a bit scared of injections, however a 'cash injection' is one we would welcome with both arms (literally).

Club Med announces Manveer Ramdhian as new MICE manager in Pacific
Rest-assured, being a MICE manager has nothing to do with our furry little friends.

Sydney Airport welcomes daily flights from Hong Kong Airlines
To top it all off, it looks like the representatives scored a cracker of a day for the celebratory photo!

Collette’s Karen Deveson on what Aussies really want from luxury
For Aussies, we're a little bit more laid back when it comes to luxury. No gold-plated cars for us, thanks!

Intrepid Travel partners with Helloworld Travel for exclusive food tour with Luke Nguyen
Vietnamese is one of our favourite cuisines, so we're headed to the Bánh mì shop for lunch in celebration.

Quark Expeditions opens its Antarctic 2026/27 season
You'd have to be Quarking mad to not have a trip like this on your bucket list.

Federal government to purchase REX Airlines if no buyers arise, Albanese says
News that is sure to ruffle some feathers in the offices of competing airlines this morning, but we're all for it!

Topdeck discounts select 2025-26 trips with up to $1,000 off
Knowing my Gen Z sister, that $1,000 saved would be headed straight to the shopping fund.

Windstar Cruises unveils ‘Basil + Bamboo’ on Star Seeker yacht
Don't worry, we're talking about a restaurant here, not the materials used to build the stunning yacht.

Captain Cook Cruises celebrates 55 years of excellence on the water in the habour city
With a view like Sydney Harbour as your office this would be a hard job to leave.

TravelManagers’ Michael Gazal: ‘Agents are spending a lot of time on bespoke trips’
If you haven't already thrown out your cookie cutter mentality, please do so now.

JP Morgan Chase grows travel offering with tech partnership
Our inner bohemian spirit strongly objects to buying travel from an investment bank. #sorrynotsorry

Helloworld celebrates Valentines Day with Air Ticket sale
Nothing gets travel agents' hearts fluttering more than discounted air fares. It is a love language.

Agents return from Sno’n’Ski Whistler and Vancouver famil
If you want to be really jealous this lunchtime, check out what these four agents got up to in Vancouver.

2025 Taipei Lantern Festival lights up Ximending
We hope our boss currently on the ground is as impressed with the snake lantern in person as we are behind the screen.

Numbers reveal how hard it REALLY is to become ATIA accredited
If you have ever failed to be accredited by ATIA then this article will make you feel better. Dust off that form!

Travel agent STILL waiting on $15k Bamboo Airways refund 16 MONTHS after carrier left Australia
This has motivated us to stop complaining about the time we got one less chicken nugget than expected.

AIME 2025 is underway!
If you're headed down to AIME we hope you brought your networking shoes because it's going to be big!

dnata spends $17m on inflight catering centre at Western Sydney Airport
Airline food has come a long was from the days you would be given a dry roll and a long strip of cheese. Time for lunch?

AYANA Bali invites guests to experience the Sacred Day of Silence
When our Balinese taxi driver informed us that it was 'time to be silent', we just assumed we were talking too much.

Brand USA launches inaugural ‘Ambassador Panel’ for ANZ agents
Interested agents need to send in a video of them singing 'Born in the USA'. Okay we made that up...

Experience Co. calls on marketing expertise of Unique Tourism Collection for Wild Bush Luxury
You no longer need to choose between experiencing bush or experiencing luxury. You can do both!

Deserts, dates and doors: Inside the secret Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
For a trip that talks the talk, we can assure you, it certainly walks the walk!

Paw-Patrol returns to Reflections Bermagui as groups boasts $3.5m economic boost
Be careful where you leave your lunch around this holiday park, there will be plenty of noses paying attention.