Virgin Blue launches On-Time Performance Challenge

Virgin Blue has kept its promise to publish its daily average on-time performance* (OTP) results and reaffirms its challenge for Qantas to do the same.

The low fare airline will publicly display its OTP statistics from today providing full transparency to the travelling public for the first time in Australian aviation history.

Virgin Blue, Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, said, "According to frequent flyers, aside from safety, on time performance is the No. 1 priority, as it allows them to make travel plans with confidence."

Brett Godfrey continued, "From the very beginning Virgin Blue promised to give 'choice' back to air travellers and by laying our on-time performance cards on the table, 'for better or worse', we're doing just that. It's our view that people are more concerned about confidently making it to their meeting rather than knowing what kind of mystery meat to expect in their snack box."

Virgin Blue is presently working with the Department of Transport and Regional Services to develop an equitable set of long term standards for measuring route by route OTP in Australia, based on arrival and departure times.

The airline has reaffirmed it will gladly comply with any reasonable set of rules that are put forward for arrival and departure standards as long as they bring full disclosure of information to the public.

This month's OTP figure of 89% puts Virgin Blue ahead of the average 88% it has held for the last 12 months, which rates the low fare airline amongst the best in the world when compared with the major airlines in the UK and US.

Brett Godfrey said, "We believe Virgin Blue has the best OTP in Australia but it's hard to tell for sure as our competition doesn't want to come clean on their performance.

Even if we are not No. 1 we would prefer to use these figures to motivate our team to do better, rather than simply hiding from the issue.

We would also be happy to work with the Department of Transport and Regional Services to have other key performance indicators disclosed, such as lost baggage, cancelled flights and customer complaints, but we see this as a good first step", Brett Godfrey finished.

Virgin Blue currently operates a fleet of 35 brand new Boeing 737 aircraft between 20 destinations nationally and has recently launched 'Pacific Blue', its New Zealand based sister airline that is due to begin services between Christchurch and Brisbane on 1 February 2004.

* Virgin Blue measures their on-time performance as all flights that depart within 15 minutes of their stated departure time. The airline stated it makes no exception for bad weather, air traffic control, delays from suppliers, unscheduled maintenance, consequence of previous delays or anything else. All figures are based on pilot log books and are internally audited by the airline.