Airline pulls together for mental health

AIRLINE Virgin Australia is aiming to set a new speed record today — without leaving the ground.

Twelve teams from the business will compete to pull a Boeing 737-800 aircraft 50 metres along the tarmac at Brisbane Airport in the shortest time.

They are aiming to achieve the feat in under 18 seconds in a fundraiser for the mental health charity, Black Dog Institute.

New Virgin Australia Group CEO and managing director Paul Scurrah, who will help pull the 41-tonne aircraft, said the company was proud to get behind the cause.

“We are focused on using our role within the community as a force for good,” he said.

The money raised will support Black Dog’s “Exercise Your Mood’’ campaign which promotes the benefits of exercise to mental health.

“The Virgin Australia team are a passionate group of people who are willing to dedicate their time to supporting our mission, which is to ensure that we can turn our research into evidence-based mental health resources,” Black Dog Institute chairman Peter Joseph said.