Giant sushi trains and planes to Tokyo
Ever since I was a little boy, I have dreamed of getting on the airport baggage carousel, disappearing through the door and appearing back, as if by magic, inside the airport. Today that particular wish came true - as I hopped on board the conveyor belt alongside some giant sushi to celebrate Virgin Australia’s new flights to Japan.
I’m so excited to see Virgin Australia flying to Japan for the very first time. Tokyo is a wonderful city and it’s about time they got to experience Virgin Australia’s award-winning service. We’ll be flying to Haneda in Tokyo, the first time that Brisbane will be connected directly to Haneda, bringing some much-needed competition to the route.
When Virgin enters the market, consumers are the winners as we drive competition on pricing and quality. With so much going on in Japan - in the aftermath of the thrilling Rugby World Cup and the build up to the Olympics - I’m sure many, many Australians will want to visit. I always love travelling to Japan, for its natural beauty, delightful people and, of course, delicious food. Virgin Australia’s new services mean an extra 100,000 Australians will be able to visit Japan.
And I’m certain there will be huge demand for Japanese people to travel to Brisbane too, another of my favourite places to visit – I’m spending this weekend in Queensland. More than 100,000 extra Japanese tourists will be able visit on Virgin Australia’s flights, which will bring in an extra $253.8 million boost to the Queensland economy over three years.
It’s been a big week for the Virgin brand in Australia. Today’s news follows hot on the heels of our Virgin Australia and Virgin Voyages ‘Tail to Sail’ package reveal, and Virgin Active’s Bondi Junction launch.
Aussies really embrace what we stand for, our teams are full of the most wonderful people, and I’m excited to see what’s next for the brand Down Under.