Virgin Australia completed a Pride Flight ahead of the country’s largest annual Parade, which is scheduled to take place on March 6, 2021.
On March 5, 2021, the Australian air carrier held its first Pride Flight (VA946). The airline’s Boeing 737, registered as VH-YFT, took off from Brisbane (BNE) at 12:14 pm (UTC) and landed in Sydney (SYD) at 2:40 pm, the Flightradar24.com data showed.
The special flight carried more than 120 passengers and was operated by LGBTQ+ cabin crew. With an abundance of glitter, rainbows, and sky-high stilettos. Speaking at Brisbane Airport ahead of the Pride Flight departing, Jayne Hrdlicka, the CEO and Managing Director at Virgin Australia Group, said she was proud of what the airline stood for.
“It’s a privilege to lead a company that celebrates diversity and inclusion in the way that Virgin Australia does, and I’m incredibly proud of our team who have created such a fantastic event for LGBTQ+ people and their allies to celebrate Pride,” Hrdlicka said.
“Every year, so many of our guests fly with us for the annual celebrations in Sydney and we wanted to show them how much we support and value the community. We also have many in our team who identify as LGBTQ+ and we want them to know they can come to work each day as their true, authentic selves. […] Today, our people are showing how bold and fun our airline can be with our trademark Virgin (VAH) flair on full display,” she added.
In February 2021, Virgin Australia conducted another special flight (VA841), hosting a wedding in the sky for a couple from Melbourne.