25,000-Kilometer Delivery Flight

Virgin Australia’s first Embraer E190-E2 has arrived at its new base, Perth Airport, after a five-day delivery journey.

The aircraft departed from Embraer’s factory in Brazil. Normally, the shortest route from São José dos Campos to Perth is about 13,600 kilometers, passing over Antarctica. However, with the limited range of the regional E190-E2, such a direct flight was not possible.

Instead, the jet first headed to Curaçao and North America, then crossed the Pacific Ocean with refueling stops in Hawaii, Fiji, and Canberra. Operating as flight VA9943, the journey covered a total of 25,801 kilometers—almost double the great-circle distance.

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