A TIMELINE OF VIRGIN AUSTRALIA FROM FIRST FLIGHT TO FREEFALL
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August 31, 2000 - Co-founded by British mogul and Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard Branson, and Australian businessman Brett Godfrey, Virgin Blue lifts off with two planes and 200 staff servicing seven flights a day between Brisbane and Sydney
June 2001 - Virgin adds another 14 domestic routes
September, 2001 - Ansett Australia collapses leaving behind a market and infrastructure
2002 - Logistic firm Patrick Corporation purchases a 50 per cent share in Virgin Blue
2003 - Launch of Blue Holdings, Virgin's holiday arm.
December 2003 - Virgin Blue Holdings is floated on the Australian Stock Exchange. Patrick invest a further $137 million in Virgin's IPO.
2004 - Launch of subsidiary Pacific Blue, focusing on routes to Pacific Islands and New Zealand.
2005 - Polynesian Blue airlines sets off in partnership with the Government of Samoa
Late 2005 - Virgin Blue becomes the first online to offer online check-in and launches its loyalty program Velocity Rewards.
Meanwhile, Patrick acquire a 62.4 per cent controlling stake in the company.
2006 - Virgin Blue signs frequent flyer-sharing agreements with Emirates, Hawaiian and Malaysian Airlines.
May 2006 - Toll Holdings buys Patrick and inherits its stake in Virgin Blue
July 2007 - Virgin Blue launches its trans-pacific carrier, V Australia, to fly the Australia-US route.
July 2008 - Toll divests its stake
2008 - Virgin rolls out premium economy class on all its planes
May 7, 2010 - Chief executive Brett Godfrey steps down after 10 years at the Virgin helm. Former Qantas general manager John Borghetti takes over.
January 20, 2011 - Air New Zealand buys a 13 per cent stake in Virgin Australia Holdings for $159 million, increasing to 14.9 per cent a day later and topping off at 23 per cent in June 2013.
2013 - Virgin acquires 100 per cent of Western Australia's regional Skywest airliner for its low-flying turboprop aircraft.
2015 - Virgin acquires the low budget Tigerair Australia.
October, 2016 - Air New Zealand sells off its stake
June 12, 2018 - Virgin Australia Group chief executive and managing director, John Borghetti, announces his resignation.
March 25, 2019, Paul Scurrah takes up the mantle
February 26, 2020 - the company posts an $88.6 million net loss in the first half of FY2020 and predicts it will take another $50 to $75 million hit in the second half due to the pandemic.
March 18, 2020 - Virgin announces it will suspend all international flights from March 30 to June 14.
March 25 2020 - About 8000 of the airlines' 10,000 staff are put on leave with 90 per cent of domestic flights are grounded due to coronavirus travel restrictions
March 31, 2020 - The company reportedly sought a federal government rescue package totalling $1.4 billion but was denied what Mr Scurrah later said was a bridging loan to help the airliner stay afloat
April 21 2020, Virgin Australia goes into voluntary administration
Australian Associated Press
