Virgin Blue hits back over safety accusations
BRISBANE – Virgin Blue is considering legal action following comments by the head of an aircraft engineers’ union which questioned the carrier’s safety regime.
Steve Purvinas, Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) federal secretary, said an incident on Tuesday when a front wheel assemble broke as a Virgin Blue Boeing 737-800 touched down in Adelaide posed an unacceptable risk to travellers.
Purvinas said it was the second incident involving a Virgin plane since a nose wheel fell off at Melbourne in July.
“It’s fortunate that today’s incident did not result in any serious injury, but it demonstrates the urgent need for safety inspections across all Virgin’s planes,” he said.
Virgin Blue said it found Mr Purvinas’s statements “bewildering and misleadingâ€.
Virgin rejected the official’s accusations.
In a statement the airline said, “The company complies fully with all manufacturer and safety regulator required maintenance checks and standards and has every confidence in the integrity of its maintenance programme, procedures and the professionalism of its engineers.â€
The airline said it is seeking legal advice regarding “the seriously inaccurate statements†made by Mr Purvinas.
Darren Dunbier, Virgin Blue manager of aircraft airworthiness and maintenance control said, “We reject outright the sensational and mischievous attempt by Mr Purvinas to damage our reputation and cause unnecessary public concern.
“Mr Purvinas statements that a wheel on a Virgin Blue 737-800 aircraft had disintegrated on landing this morning at Melbourne Airport are simply not true. His statement that Virgin Blue is preparing to do less regular maintenance checks is again simply not true.â€
The airline said the plane did not lose a wheel or any other component. “Upon arrival at the terminal engineers were advised of the reported condition and inspected the aircraft. The wheel and its brake were replaced and the aircraft returned to service.
“Upon inspection our engineers found that a component within the wheel hub of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, had failed,†Dunbier said.
“This is the first time this issue has occurred with any of our aircraft and we have been advised by the wheel supplier that it is a very rare occurrence.â€
Virgin Blue said the additional statement made by Mr Purvinas that the airline is planning to move to a programme of less engineering maintenance was again simply false.
“To be very clear and at our own initiative, we are making a CASA-approved change to our aircraft line check procedures which will deliver more frequent maintenance inspections of aircraft across our fleet,†Dunbier added.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026