perth Airport has seized a number of parked Virgin Australia aircraft because of unpaid invoices, with the airport saying it must “protect its own interests”.
Dramatic images show a bulldozer blocking one plane on the runway at the airport.
It is the latest development in Virgin’s potential demise – the biggest collapse of an Australian business amid the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Virgin Australia is estimated to owe more than $6.8 billion to its more than 12,000 creditors, Federal Court documents filed by administrators Deloitte on Friday say.
As well as the bulldozer, trucks and portable stairs were last night positioned right in front of aeroplanes to stop them taking off.
“Virgin has significant outstanding invoices from Perth Airport for airfield and terminal use charges – money the airline has already collected from its passengers and the FIFO sector,” an airport spokesperson said on Friday.
“While Perth Airport is working with the Virgin administrators, it also needs to protect its own interests.
“Perth Airport has taken liens…
