Virgin Australia creates Golden Wish Experience with Starlight Children's Foundation

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Wednesday 16 September 2026: To mark 16 years as Starlight Children’s Foundation’s official Wishgranting Partner, Virgin Australia has given three Starlight children and their families a special behind-the-scenes look at the world of aviation before heading to the Gold Coast for a week of adventure.

Walter (3) from New South Wales, Ryan (10) from Western Australia and Daniel (18) from Victoria went behind the scenes at Brisbane Airport, helping check in guests, making boarding announcements and stepping into the cockpit where they met with Virgin Australia Pilots and Cabin Crew.

The Starlight children and their families then headed to the Gold Coast, Starlight’s most popular wish destination, for a week of adventures tailored to each child’s wish, including visiting some of Australia's best theme parks.

This year marks Virgin Australia’s 16th year as Starlight’s official Wishgranting Partner, with the airline helping 3,000 Starlight Children’s travel wishes take flight since 2010.  From pilots and cabin crew to airport teams and corporate employees, Virgin Australia’s people come together to help create moments of joy, connection and lasting memories for children and families facing challenging circumstances.

For these three children and their families, this trip of a lifetime provides them with something special to look forward to, a chance to spend precious time together and create joyful memories that can last well beyond the week itself.

Virgin Australia Group General Manager, Flight Operations and Chief Pilot, Alex Scamps, said the partnership was a special part of the airline’s work, giving children and families something to look forward to at an incredibly important time.

“After 16 years of supporting Starlight Wishes, we’ve seen first-hand just how much these experiences can mean to a child and their family,” said Mr Scamps.

“To be able to give Walter, Ryan and Daniel a glimpse behind the scenes of our airline, have some fun with our people and experience the magic of aviation for themselves is something we’re incredibly proud of," he said.

“Our people put so much heart into making these moments happen, and seeing the excitement and smiles along the way is what makes this partnership so special.”

Starlight Children's Foundation CEO Louise Baxter said Starlight’s partnership with Virgin Australia continues to deliver extraordinary experiences for Starlight children and families navigating unimaginable challenges:

“What makes the Virgin Australia partnership so special is the genuine care, enthusiasm and commitment their team brings to every Starlight Wish. For 16 years, Virgin Australia has gone above and beyond to create moments of joy, connection and happiness for seriously ill children and their families, helping create wish experiences that will be remembered for a lifetime.

For Starlight Wish children Walter, Ryan and Daniel, and their families, this is an opportunity to step away from the challenges of illness, share a unique adventure together and create positive memories at a time when they are needed most.”

About Starlight Children’s Foundation

Starlight Children’s Foundation brightens the lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children and young people by replacing pain, fear and stress with fun, joy and laughter. Since 1988, Starlight has grown to become Australia’s broadest-reaching children’s charity and is consistently recognised as one of Australia’s most reputable charities.  In 2025, Starlight created 926,887 experiences that transformed the healthcare experience and provided much needed social connection and a sense of belonging for seriously ill children and their families. We also provided 4.5 million online entertainment experiences, and through the Healthier Futures Initiative, Captain Starlight reached 118 remote communities across Australia.  Starlight also granted 424 life-changing wishes in 2025.  www.starlight.org.au

About Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia was founded in 2000 and is now one of the largest Australian airlines operating an extensive domestic network as well as short haul international services, charter and cargo operations, and its loyalty program, Velocity Frequent Flyer. Velocity members can use their Points to redeem flights to over 650 destinations around the world through Virgin Australia and the airline’s extensive list of international partner carriers. Virgin Australia employs more than 8,000 people. For further information please visit virginaustralia.com.

ENDS

Media Contacts

Virgin Australia Group Corporate Affairs: corporateaffairs@virginaustralia.com or 1800 142 467.

Starlight Children's Foundation Deborah Ivison: 0412 007 202; deborah.ivison@starlight.org.au