Regional Express will challenge Virgin Australia with a jet named for the man who helped launch Virgin some 20 years ago.
Irony alert: one of many Boeing 737 jets with which Regional Categorical will take on Virgin Australia is none aside from a jet named for Virgin co-founder Brett Godfrey.
Rex will lease six Boeing 737 jets to launch flights between Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane throughout March-April 2021 because it seeks a share of the profitable ‘triangle’ site visitors between Australia’s east coast capitals, with an eye fixed in direction of a fleet of 30-40 jets linking all capital cities.
As previously reported, these jets have been previously flown by Virgin Australia and can arrive at Rex’s hangars with Virgin’s business class and economic system seats.
In accordance with a fleet supply schedule sighted by Govt Traveller, the fifth Boeing 737 to be handed over to Rex carries the registration of VH-BZG, making it none aside from the Boeing 737 named in honor of Brett Godfrey (the ‘Z’ is for his spouse Zahra).
Melbourne-born Godfrey based Virgin Blue alongside Richard Branson in 2000, after working at Virgin Atlantic and famously pitching the low-cost Qantas challenger to Branson in what the Brit billionaire described as “presenting his concepts to me sketched out on a beer mat.”
Godfrey served as CEO of Virgin Blue till 2010, after which the airline was rebranded and repositioned because upmarket Virgin Australia by his successor John Borghetti.
His retirement was marked by the supply in August 2010 of a Boeing 737 with the VH-BZG registration and carrying the identity “Brett’s Jet”.
Curiously, Rex’s fleet supply schedule indicated that BZG – which like a lot of the preliminary Boeing 737s is being leased from Castlelake – would have its registration modified to MFM.
These are notably the initials of Michael Francis McCormack: Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Nationwide Celebration chief, proud son of Wagga Wagga, and federal member for the native citizens of Riverina.
Nevertheless, a spokesman for Regional Categorical advised Govt Traveller that the primary six Boeing 737s would all comply with the airline’s conference of registrations starting with the letter R.
