VIRGIN ATLANTIC REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO INDIA CONNECTIVITY AS IT DOUBLES SERVICES TO MUMBAI, LAUNCHES BENGALURU

• Five daily flights to India reinforces Virgin Atlantic's commitment to its third largest market behind UK and US.
• Airline will launch second daily direct service from London Heathrow to Mumbai from October 2024 for both customer and cargo operations, providing greater connectivity to India for US customers.
• New service will complement Virgin Atlantic's existing flying to Delhi, Mumbai and newly-launched Bengaluru.
• Codeshare with IndiGo provides 36 onward connections from key hubs.

ATLANTA, April 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, Virgin Atlantic launched flights to the start-up capital of India, Bengaluru, a key destination for US customers connecting onwards via London Heathrow from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Seattle, and more. With average connection times of one to two hours, the route promises optimal connectivity for those traveling for business or enjoying a vibrant city stay in India's third most populous city.

In addition, the airline is delighted to add a second daily flight to Mumbai, signaling its continued commitment to the region. The new flight is the airline's fifth daily service to India and complements its double daily services to Delhi and daily flights to Bengaluru. 

From 2025, Virgin Atlantic will offer more than one million seats to the country, a 350% capacity growth since 2019, cementing India's position as a key strategic market for the airline and marking its largest area of growth outside the United States. Alongside customer options, the increase in flying to Mumbai is also a huge boost for cargo operations, as the airline is set to carry an additional 25,000 tons of cargo from the fashion, pharmaceuticals, and tech sectors. With five daily services, Virgin Atlantic Cargo will offer 42.1million kg of space available to and from India which is a 336% increase in capacity versus 2019.

Beginning October 27, 2024 and on sale from April 6, 2024, the second daily Mumbai services will operate on the airline's state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000, offering Upper Class, Premium and Economy Delight, Classic and Light cabins as well as the airline's signature Upper Class social space. It will also offer seamless connectivity and a premium long-haul experience for those customers connecting via London Heathrow from key gateways throughout the United States including San Francisco, New York JFK, Atlanta, Seattle, Boston, and Los Angeles, with Virgin Atlantic and transatlantic joint venture partner, Delta Air Lines. 

In addition to offering seamless connectivity for US customers to three destinations in India, Virgin Atlantic has a strategic partnership with IndiGo, India's leading airline. Customers can book one ticket which allows them to connect onwards to popular destinations in India such as Ahmedabad, Goa and Hyderabad through Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. In total the partnership offers 36 additional destinations and has connected more than 80,000 customers to date.

Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic, commented:

"There is a huge opportunity for us in India, it has a dynamic, fast-growing economy and we're anticipating a huge growth in demand for international travel to and from the region. We know both our customers and people love traveling to India and we have a rich history in the destination. Next year marks 25 years of operations and the first time that we'll offer more than one million seats to India via London Heathrow with optimal connectivity for our US customers from key tech hubs including San Francisco and Seattle. The launch of Bengaluru and doubling of our Mumbai services reaffirms our strong commitment and will allow our customers to travel seamlessly throughout India and beyond, flying on one of the youngest fleets in the skies, with our signature personalized service, delivered by our amazing people."

New flight to Mumbai (subject to Government approval)

Existing India schedule

US to India Connection Times

For further information please contact the Virgin Atlantic press office at [email protected].

About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2023, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain's only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the seventh year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs more than 8,500 people worldwide, flying customers to 30 destinations across four continents throughout the year.

Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. In February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers. Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam in March 2023 as the global airline alliance's first and only UK member airline, enhancing the alliance's transatlantic network and services to and from Heathrow and Manchester Airport.   

Virgin Atlantic has been pioneering sustainability leadership for more than 15 years, committing to Net Zero by 2050 and continuous action that reduces environmental impact.  The airline operates one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the skies, with an average age under seven years. In October 2022, Virgin Atlantic welcomed the first of 16 A330-900neos to the fleet, continuing its transformation towards 100% next generation aircraft by 2028. In November 2023, the airline led a consortium to deliver the world's first flight across the Atlantic on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), demonstrating that 100% SAF can be used safely as a drop in fuel in existing infrastructure, engines and airframes. The need to scale production is an industry imperative and Virgin Atlantic is committed to radical collaboration across the energy chain to support commercialization ahead of 2030.  

For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic.  

SOURCE Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd