British carrier Virgin Atlantic will commence its second daily direct flight between London Heathrow and Mumbai in October 2024.
Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss told reporters in Bengaluru on April 3 that there is robust demand in the Indian market. "India is the third largest market for Virgin Atlantic, following North America and the Caribbean. There's a huge opportunity for us in India; it has a dynamic, fast-growing economy, and we're anticipating huge growth in demand for international travel from the region. Next year marks 25 years of our operations, and with our new daily service to Bengaluru and a second daily service to Mumbai, it will be the first time we'll offer more than one million seats from London Heathrow." he said.
Also, read: Virgin Atlantic launches daily direct flights between London and Bengaluru
Weiss also noted that Virgin Atlantic commenced its direct service between London Heathrow and Bengaluru on March 31, with the first flight touching down at Kempegowda International Airport on April 1.
"The new flight to Mumbai will be the airline's fifth daily service to India. From 2025, Virgin Atlantic will offer over one million seats to the country, a 350% capacity growth since 2019. This expansion cements India's position as a key strategic market for the airline, marking its largest area of growth outside the United States." said Weiss.
"In addition to passenger services, the increased capacity will significantly boost cargo operations, supporting the movement of goods from the fashion, pharmaceuticals, and tech sectors. With five daily services, Virgin Atlantic Cargo will offer over 40 million kg of space to and from India, reflecting a 336% increase in capacity compared to 2019." said Weiss.
According to Virgin Atlantic officials, new services will operate on the airline's 757-9 Dreamliner, providing customers with options including Upper Class, Premium, and Economy Delight, Classic, and Light, as well as access to the airline's signature Upper Class social space. Seamless connectivity and a premium long-haul experience will be offered to customers connecting via London Heathrow to destinations throughout North America, including Seattle, San Francisco, and New York JFK, through Virgin Atlantic and its transatlantic joint venture partner, Delta Air Lines.
"In addition to offering direct services to Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, Virgin Atlantic has a partnership with IndiGo. Customers can book one ticket, which allows them to seamlessly connect from other destinations in India such as Ahmedabad, Goa, and Hyderabad to London Heathrow. In total, the partnership offers 36 additional destinations and has so far connected over 80,000 customers since its launch in September 2022." said a statement from Virgin Atlantic.
"Virgin Atlantic will also quadruple the number of Indian-based cabin crew this summer. Through GA partner InterGlobe Air Transport, the airline will now average four Indian cabin crew on each flight in order to deliver a more personalised service to our Indian customers," it said.
Chandru Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka & Kerala, said: "With the growing number of Indian business travelers, tourists, and students traveling to the UK, the addition of Virgin Atlantic to the existing air travel options would be of tremendous benefit to the entire southern region of India."
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