Could Virgin Australia beat national flag carrier Qantas to become the official airline of the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane? It might seem unlikely but as a Brisbane-based airline with close ties to the Queensland government, there’s still a chance that Virgin Australia could somehow pull it off.
Within hours of Brisbane being announced as the host city of the 2032 Olympic Games, Virgin Australia was busy congratulating the bid team and positioning itself as the official airline partner.
“As a proudly Queensland based airline, I am delighted that the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in our backyard,” commented Virgin Australia chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka on Tuesday night.
“This is a wonderful achievement for Brisbane and the entire state of Queensland. It means more jobs in Queensland and a huge economic boost to the entire aviation and tourism industry across Australia.
Hrdlicka predicted that Brisbane could expect half a million additional visitors over the course of the Games – no doubt, she is hoping Virgin Australia will be involved in flying many of those visitors to and from Brisbane.
Members of the IOC voted 72 to 5 in favour of Brisbane hosting the 2032 Olympic Games. There were three abstentions.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been one of the biggest advocates for tough border controls in contrast with Hrdlicka who has argued that Australia should reopen to international travellers as soon as the population has been offered the COVID-19 vaccine.
Hrdlicka once again made a jab at ‘Fortress Australia’ saying she was “looking forward to bringing the world to our beautiful state of Queensland, to showcase all that we can offer.”
There’s just one minor problem. Virgin Australia has abandoned its international business and sold off its long-haul aircraft in order to survive the pandemic. Still, a lot could change over the course of the next 10 years.
Not only does Virgin no longer have the aircraft needed to transport folks long distances to Australia, it is questionable whether the Australian border will have reopened by then. I know it is 11 years away, but Australia has determined that 0 cases is all that is acceptable, and that will never happen.