Planes delayed by Boeing strike

V Australia, the new transpacific carrier created by Virgin Blue, the Australian domestic affiliate of Sir Richard Branson’s global Virgin empire, said it will have to delay the start of service on its first route – Sydney-Los Angeles – by more than two months. The airline has previously announced it would begin flying the route on December 15, but those plans were disrupted by the ongoing strike at Boeing. The carrier has three 777-300ERs in final stages of construction at Boeing’s Seattle plant, and the strike has put off their delivery. V Australia now says it expects to launch LAX-Sydney service on February 28. For now, it is sticking with earlier plans to begin Los Angeles-Brisbane flights March 1. Meanwhile, rival Qantas is due to shake up the transpacific market later this month when it begins service with Airbus’ super-jumbo A380. Qantas plans to begin flying the double-deck airplane from Los Angeles to Melbourne October 20, and from LAX to Sydney October 24. It will take delivery of a second A380 in November and will boost service to five flights a week – two to Melbourne and three to Sydney.