The AFL and Virgin Australia have announced a partnership extension which will see the airline remain the official airline partner of the AFL and AFLW until at least 2025.

The five-year partnership extension will see Virgin Australia continue to fly the league’s 32 teams to all interstate matches and also continue to develop the Footy Families fan engagement platform.

AFL CEO, Gillon McLachlan, said the partnership extension will help ensure the league is as accessible as possible for fans around Australia.

“The AFL’s partnership with Virgin Australia has gone from strength to strength over the last 10 years,” McLachlan said.

“It has been testament to our shared commitment to the footy community.

“Virgin Australia has been flying our players and fans around the country since 2011 and we are thrilled to extend our partnership and continue to take our game all around the country,” he said.

Virgin Australia CEO and managing director, Jayne Hrdlicka, said: “AFL is the most popular sporting code in the country and there are no fans more passionate than AFL fans.”

“We’re proud to be continuing our partnership until 2025, helping Australians all over the country connect with their love of this great game.

“The AFL and Virgin Australia have both had a challenging 12 months, but we’ve come out the other side, stronger, fitter, better, re-energised, and ready for the season ahead.

“The partnership enables Virgin Australia to fly the AFL and AFLW’s 32 teams and their fans across the country, which helps get Virgin Australia people back to work, while contributing to rebuilding market demand for air travel, and the nation’s broader tourism recovery.

“Flying the league means that we’ll have approximately 16,000 seats booked by the clubs each season which means more flying hours for our people and more travel opportunities for fans keen to watch their team play interstate.

“For fans, travelling to your team’s game has never been cheaper or easier with Virgin Australia’s extensive network of domestic destinations.

“And, thanks to the Federal Government’s recently announced aviation support package, flying to support your team will be more affordable than ever,” she said.

The five-year partnership extension sees Virgin Australia continue from the partnership first signed with the AFL in 2011, which has seen the airline transport players, coaches, league officials, and support staff on over 4,000 flights during that time.