• Virgin Australia returns to international long-haul flying with its first Sydney–Doha flight on 12 June, connecting Australians to over 170 destinations through Qatar Airways' network.
• The Virgin Australia-Qatar Airways alliance brings together two aviation brands to create one of the most comprehensive travel networks available to Australian consumers.
• Velocity members who book an eligible Virgin Australia flight between Australia and Doha (VA1-29) between 12 June and 30 June 2025 for travel between 1 October 2025 and 27 May 2026 will earn a 50% Status Credit bonus1. The Status Credit bonus will contribute to the new requirement from October 2025 onwards to earn at least 50% of Status Credits on Virgin Australia flights to upgrade or maintain Status.
• To celebrate, Virgin Australia will launch a limited time sale, offering up to 15% off eligible fares to Doha and selected beyond destinations for selected travel dates3.
• The Virgin Australia–Qatar Airways alliance is expected to inject more than $3B into the Australian economy over five years and create hundreds of new aviation and tourism jobs.

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Thursday, 12 June 2025: Virgin Australia marks a major milestone in its history today, as the airline returns to long-haul international flying with the launch of its inaugural Sydney–Doha service. The new service connects Australian travellers to more than 170 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa via Qatar Airways' global network.

This launch represents a significant evolution of Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways' partnership. With Brisbane flights commencing 19 June, Perth on 26 June and Melbourne services to follow in December 2025, there is no better time to book that European holiday.

The Virgin Australia–Qatar Airways alliance brings together two aviation brands to deliver more choice to Australian consumers, with connectivity to six continents. The new Australia - Doha services will offer elevated service offerings, exceptional inflight amenities and loyalty benefits.

By December 2025, the alliance will grow the capacity of flights from Australia to Doha to 2.65 million seats a year, increasing competitiveness in the market and providing ample choice for Aussie travellers wanting to visit Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Passengers onboard the new Doha flights will travel on Qatar Airways' Boeing 777 aircraft, featuring:

• Qsuite Business Class – named World's Best Business Class in Skytrax's World Airline Awards 2024, offering private suites, lie-flat beds, and the option for couples to create a double bed in the sky4.
• Spacious Economy Cabins with one of the widest seats in the industry and renowned inflight service.
• Complimentary high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi available onboard for all passengers through the entire journey.

The new services are expected to generate more than $3 billion in economic activity within Australia over the next five years, fuelled by an anticipated surge in international visitors and increased tourism spending. The launch is also expected to create hundreds of new jobs in aviation, hospitality and tourism-related sectors across the country. For Virgin Australia employees, this also creates secondment opportunities for Pilots and Cabin Crew to broaden their skills and gain international flying experience within Qatar Airways' world-class global network.

Virgin Australia Chief Executive Officer, Dave Emerson, said the inaugural Australia-Doha flights represent a pivotal moment for the airline and for Australian travellers.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era for Virgin Australia and for international travel from Australia. Through our partnership with Qatar Airways, we're not just launching a new route — we're opening the world to millions of Australians, delivering more choice, better value and a seamless global experience. This partnership strengthens Australia's global connectivity while generating jobs, boosting tourism and injecting billions into the national economy.”

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said:

“We are delighted to welcome Virgin Australia's inaugural Sydney to Doha service to our award-winning Hamad International Airport as the first of four exciting new routes scheduled for 2025. This milestone moment in the partnership between our two airlines is the culmination of many months of meticulous planning and tireless dedication of our respective teams, as well as a testament to our shared ambition to deliver increased competition, world-class service and value to Australian passengers."

Loyalty Benefits for Velocity Frequent Flyer Members
Velocity Frequent Flyer's more than 13 million members will be eligible for benefits when travelling on the new services. Some of these benefits include:

• 50% bonus Status Credits on bookings made between 12 June and 30 June 2025 for travel between 1 October 2025 and 27 May 2026 on an eligible Virgin Australia flight between Australia and Doha (VA1-29)1.
• Status Credits earned on the new services (VA1-29) will contribute to the new requirement from October 2025 onwards, to earn at least 50% of Status Credits on Virgin Australia flights to upgrade or maintain Status5.
• Points benefits for Silver, Gold and Platinum members including 50% bonus Points for Silver members, 75% bonus Points for Gold members and 100% for Platinum members on eligible flights6.
• From 1 October 2025, Velocity will be increasing the number of Status Credits that members will earn on the new Virgin Australia services between Australia and Doha (VA1-29) and Qatar Airways marketed and/or operated flights between Australia and Doha. This ensures that from 1 October 2025, the same Status Credit earn rate applies on all Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways marketed and/or operated services on eligible routes5.

These enhancements complement previously announced benefits including Business Class upgrades using Points (available from 1 July 2025, when travelling on Economy Flex fares), US$20 vouchers for selected food outlets at Hamad International Airport7, and premium lounge access in Australia, Doha and European ports8, and complimentary Advance Seat Selection9 and additional baggage allowance for Gold and Platinum members10.

Celebration Fares On Sale Now
To commemorate the launch, Virgin Australia has unveiled limited-time celebration fares to Doha and selected beyond destinations in Europe, with eligible fares discounted by up to 15% for selected travel dates between 16 October 2025 and 31 March 2026. Fares on sale from 12:01am AEST 10 June 2025 to 11:59pm AEST 30 June 2025, unless sold out prior3.

For bookings and more information, visit virginaustralia.com

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT

Virgin Australia Group Corporate Affairs: corporateaffairs@virginaustralia.com or 1800 142 467.

NOTE TO EDITORS

About Virgin Australia

Co-founded in the Year 2000 by Brett Godfrey and Rob Sherrard with start up capital from Sir Richard Branson as Virgin Blue, Virgin Australia is now one of the largest Australian airlines operating an extensive domestic network as well as short-haul international services, charter and cargo operations. The Group employs more than 8,000 people and has been a competitor in the Australian aviation landscape for 25 years. Virgin Australia is incredibly focused on providing wonderful travel experiences through award-winning service, optionality to fly the way you want to, and value with competitive airfare pricing. Three seating choices are offered when flying with Virgin Australia: Business Class, Economy X (extra leg room Economy) and Economy.

About Qatar Airways

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways won the 'World's Best Airline' for the unprecedented eighth time at the 2024 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. Qatar Airways has been the World's Best Airline in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024. The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, also taking home, 'World's Best Business Class', 'World's Best Business Class Airline Lounge', and 'Best Airline in the Middle East'. As leaders in industry innovation and digital adoption, Qatar Airways was also recently voted the 'World's Best Airline Website' by World Travel Tech Awards. Qatar Airways currently flies to over 170 destinations worldwide.

About Velocity Frequent Flyer

Virgin Australia's loyalty program, Velocity Frequent Flyer, boast more than 13 million members who can use their Points to redeem flights to over 600 destinations around the world through Virgin Australia and the airline's extensive list of international partner carriers, including Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines and more. The program is also partnered with Flybuys (Coles, Coles Express, Bunnings and more), Myer, DiDi and more, giving members more choice than ever before when earning and redeeming Points.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Bonus Status Credit offer

1To be eligible for the 50% bonus Status Credits promotion you must (1) book an Eligible Flight between 12:01am AEST 12 June 2025 and 30 June 2025 inclusive (Promotion Period) (2) travel on an Eligible Flight between 1 October 2025 and 27 May 2026 inclusive (the Travel Period) and (3) enter and have a valid Velocity membership number in the booking before you fly on the first flight of your itinerary. An Eligible Flight is a Virgin Australia service between Australia and Doha with a flight number VA1-29 that normally earns Status Credits. For more information on Status Credits, click here. Tickets purchased on codeshare services marketed by Virgin Australia with flight numbers VA6000 – 6399 or on services with a QR flight number are not eligible for this offer. The promotion is for new Eligible Flights booked and ticketed during the Promotion Period, and changes to existing bookings made prior to the Promotion Period are not eligible. Status Credits cannot be earned on Velocity Reward Seat bookings. Bonus Status Credits will be applied to the originally purchased fare class. Any upgrades (other than when you paid the full commercial fare) will not attract bonus Status Credits as a result of this offer. Eligible Flights that satisfy the above eligibility criteria are eligible to earn 50% more Status Credits than the Status Credits that would normally be earned for that flight and fare class. There is no limit on the amount of times this offer can be redeemed. Where multiple guests are listed on the same booking, only those guests who satisfy the above eligibility criteria are eligible for this offer. You should allow up to 4 weeks after satisfying the above eligibility criteria for the bonus Status Credits to be allocated. Velocity membership and Status Credit earn are subject to the Member Terms and Conditions, as amended from time to time.

Velocity Status Tier eligibility

2From 1 October 2025, Eligible Sectors will no longer be required to upgrade or maintain your Status level. To be eligible to upgrade into Silver, Gold, and Platinum Status, members must have the required number of Status Credits in their Status Credit balance earned during the previous 365 days, with at least 50% of the Status Credits in their balance earned on Virgin Australia marketed and/or Virgin Australia operated flights flown by the member. To be eligible to maintain Silver, Gold, and Platinum Status, members must have the required Status Credits in their Status Credit balance earned during their Benefit Period, with at least 50% of the Status Credits in their balance earned on Virgin Australia marketed and/or Virgin Australia operated flights flown by the member. To be eligible to upgrade into Platinum Plus Status, members must have a total of 2,000 Status Credits in their Status Credit balance earned during the previous 365 days, with at least 1,500 Status Credits in their balance earned on Virgin Australia marketed and/or Virgin Australia operated flights flown by the member. To be eligible for Forever Gold Status, Velocity members must have a total of 12,000 Status Credits in their Status Credit balance calculated from 1 February 2013 onwards, with at least 9,000 Status Credits in their balance earned on Virgin Australia marketed and/or Virgin Australia operated flights flown by the member. Status Credits earned through Partner Airline marketed and operated flights, Family Pooling (as a beneficiary), Flybuys, eligible Velocity Points earning credit cards or with any other partners will not count towards the minimum balance of Status Credits required to be earned on Virgin Australia marketed and/or Virgin Australia operated flights flown by the member. Status Credits transferred to a beneficiary through Family Pooling are not earned by the contributor and do not form part of the contributor's Status Credit balance. For more information on how many Status Credits are required, click here.  Your Status Credit balance is calculated daily based on the previous 365 days. Your Status Credit balance may fluctuate daily as new Status Credits are earned, and older Status Credits reach the end of their validity period. Your Forever Gold Status Credit balance is calculated separately and includes all Status Credits earned from 1 February 2013 onwards. To view your balances, visit My Velocity.

Status Credits cannot be earned on all fare types. Status Credits can only be earned on eligible flights, marketed, and operated by Virgin Australia and/or a Velocity airline partner. Status Credits accrual is based on single flight segments that consist of individual flight numbers. An itinerary that involves a change in aircraft but retains the same flight number is considered a single flight segment. An itinerary that consists of a change in flight numbers, even if the same aircraft is used for the entire itinerary, is considered two flight segments. Domestic flights booked within an international journey will accrue Status Credits at the earn level for international flights. Members travelling on upgraded fares purchased with Points or any other subsidised means of upgrades on Virgin Australia or our partner airlines will earn Status Credits based on the original purchased fare type.

Sale fares

3Fares on sale from 12:01am AEST 10 June 2025 to 11:59pm AEST 30 June 2025, unless sold out prior. For travel on selected dates between 16 October 2025 and 31 March 2026 (inclusive), blackout periods apply. Sale fares are for return Economy Choice and Business fares booked on virginaustralia.com, on flights operated by Qatar Airways, from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide, to selected European destinations via Doha. Sale destinations include Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Dublin, Rome, Istanbul, London (Gatwick), London (Heathrow) and Manchester. Discount applies to base fares only and excludes surcharges. Seats are limited and may not be available at peak times or on all flights. Return fares may vary with the addition of local taxes and charges or due to currency fluctuations. Payment surcharge, seasonal and weekend surcharges may apply. Fare inclusions (like different baggage allowances) and change and cancellation fare rules will be different depending on the airline operating your flight. See Virgin Australia's fares pages for information about fees and charges you may incur when you change or cancel your fare operated by a partner airline (https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/travel-info/flying-with-us/fare-types/international-fares/partner-fares/). You may also request a refund for other reasons, including under the Australian Consumer Law. Check your fare rules for more information. Full T&Cs at www.virginaustralia.com.

Qsuite availability

4Virgin Australia's flights between Australia and Doha (VA1-29) will all include the Qsuite configuration by default. The aircraft will only switch to a non-Qsuite fitted aircraft if operationally required.

Status Credit earn as of 1 October 2025

5Status Credits cannot be earned on all fare types. Status Credits can only be earned on eligible flights, marketed, and operated by Virgin Australia and/or a Velocity airline partner. Status Credits accrual is based on single flight segments that consist of individual flight numbers. An itinerary that involves a change in aircraft but retains the same flight number is considered a single flight segment. An itinerary that consists of a change in flight numbers, even if the same aircraft is used for the entire itinerary, is considered two flight segments. Domestic flights booked within an international journey will accrue Status Credits at the earn level for international flights. Members travelling on upgraded fares purchased with Points or any other subsidised means of upgrades on Virgin Australia or our partner airlines will earn Status Credits based on the original purchased fare type.

Bonus Velocity Points Offer

6When flying on a Qatar Airways operated flight with a VA flight number. To earn Points you must be a Velocity member. Tier bonus Points refers to the additional number of Points (beyond the base Points) that can be earned by a Silver, Gold or Platinum member when flying on all fare types excluding Lite with Virgin Australia. If the flight is booked as a Virgin Australia Itinerary, then the tier bonus Points earn amount will be equivalent to a proportion of the base Points earned, depending on the applicable tier bonus rate (50% for Silver, 75% for Gold and 100% for Platinum).  If the Virgin Australia flight is between Australia and Doha (operated by Qatar Airways for Virgin Australia) with a VA flight number VA1 to VA29 (inclusive) or is a Virgin Australia marketed and operated flight booked in conjunction with another flight (or flights) on any other airline on a joint itinerary, then the tier bonus Points earn amount will be equivalent to a proportion the number of miles flown on the Virgin Australia flight, depending on the applicable Tier Bonus rate (50% for Silver, 75% for Gold and 100% for Platinum).This offer, Velocity membership and Points earn are subject to the Velocity Membership Terms and Conditions as amended from time to time.

Dine on Us voucher

7Velocity Frequent Flyer members or Qatar Airways Privilege Club members will each receive a USD$20 food and beverage voucher (Voucher) to redeem for food or drinks (excluding alcohol) at one of over 50 food outlets at Hamad International Airport, Doha when travelling on Virgin Australia's services between Australia and Doha (VA1-29). Passengers travelling on these services (including children) need to add their Velocity or Privilege Club membership number to their booking, prior to departure of their flight to or from Australia, in order to link this Voucher to their boarding pass. Members are not able to claim this Voucher any other way.  To redeem this

Voucher, the member must present their boarding pass at one of the selected food outlets at the point of transaction. Only one Voucher can be used per transaction. Vouchers cannot be combined with other members' Vouchers. If a member's transaction exceeds the value of the Voucher, the member must pay the remaining balance by cash or card.  Vouchers cannot be used at the following outlets: Starbucks, Joe the Juice, La Vita Café and Louis Vuitton Lounge. To view the full list of eligible outlets visit the Velocity Frequent Flyer website here. This Voucher is non-refundable, single use only and cannot be used in parts nor exchanged for cash.

Lounge Access

8Qatar Airways Business Class passengers (all except Qatar Business LITE passengers) can access the Al Mourjan Business Lounge “The Garden” in Doha. Business Class (Lite) and Economy Class passengers can purchase Al Mourjan Business Lounge access subject to availability. Velocity Platinum and Gold members travelling on a flight operated by Qatar Airways (including Virgin Australia flights operated by Qatar Airways with a VA flight number between Australia and Doha) who are not travelling on an eligible Business Class fare, have access to other Qatar Airways owned and operated and 3rd party partner lounges. For more information, please visit the Qatar Airways partner page on the Velocity website

Advanced seat selection

9Discounts will only be available for the Red or Silver Velocity member on a booking (not including other passengers). Your Velocity membership number must be entered into your booking (or quoted to Contact Centre staff) prior to purchasing advance seat selection. The amount payable for advance seat selection will be quoted to you at the time of purchase, and will be inclusive of any discounts. Any discount available will be based on your Velocity membership level at the time you purchase advance seat selection. Gold and Platinum members will be eligible for complimentary advance seat selection (standard, preferred or extra leg room) for themselves and up to 8 accompanying guests on the same booking (excluding group bookings). Seat selection is available up to three days before a flight's scheduled departure. Seat selection for new bookings or seat changes within 3 days of scheduled departure can only be requested at check-in, at the airport. Any advance seat selection is subject to terms and conditions.

Additional Checked Baggage allowance

10For travel to/from the Americas: Gold members will receive one piece of additional checked baggage of up to 23kg when travelling in Economy Class or up to 32kg when travelling in Business Class on Qatar Airways operated flights (with a VA or QR number). Platinum members will receive two pieces of additional checked baggage of up to 23kg when travelling in Economy Class or up to 32kg when travelling in Business Class on Qatar Airways operated flights (with a VA or QR flight number). For travel to/from Africa: If you have booked a Qatar Airways operated flight with a VA flight number, Gold members will receive an additional checked baggage allowance of up to 20kg when travelling in Economy Class or Business Class. Platinum members will receive an additional checked baggage allowance of up to 25kg when travelling in Economy Class or Business Class. If you have booked a Qatar Airways operated flight with a QR flight number, Gold members will receive one piece of additional checked baggage of up to 23kg when travelling in Economy Class or up to 32kg when travelling in Business Class. Platinum members will receive two pieces of additional checked baggage of up to 23kg when travelling in Economy Class or up to 32kg when travelling in Business Class.

For travel to/from other international destinations: Gold members will receive an additional checked baggage allowance of up to 20kg when travelling in Economy Class or Business Class on Qatar Airways operated flights (with a VA or QR flight number). Platinum members will receive an additional checked baggage allowance of up to 25kg when travelling in Economy Class or Business Class on Qatar Airways operated flights (with a VA or QR flight number).