Virgin Atlantic Adds 250,000 Seats Including Brazil, Bengaluru & Dubai

Return to Dubai

The airline’s return to the Middle Eastern hub of Dubai is moderately an interesting one. Virgin Atlantic’s last flight to DXB was operated on March thirty first, 2019. The carrier axed the route in June 2018 and cited fierce competition on the route, making it

When the airline returns to Dubai on October twenty eighth, for the winter season at first, it would operate 4 times weekly using the 787-9. The carrier plans to capture the leisure travel market and enable fast cargo service to export and import goods between the Middle East and first markets across the UK and the US.

Photo: Joe Kunzler | Easy Flying

The route between Dubai and London Heathrow has at all times been competitive and, so far, stays certainly one of the busiest international routes on the planet. While it’s dominated by UAE flag carrier Emirates, operating six Airbus A380-800 services day by day, British Airways also flies two to thrice day by day using a wide range of widebody aircraft and previously used the A380 as well. Royal Brunei Airlines also operates a fifth freedom flight on this route connecting DXB and LHR. Albeit with a smaller frequency of three weekly flights operated using the carrier’s 787-8 Dreamliner.

Interestingly, one other carrier that operated flights on this route between DXB and LHR was the Australian giant Qantas! After Emirates and Qantas announced their codeshare partnership, Qantas switched its Melbourne – Singapore – London route, operated using an A380, to Melbourne – Dubai – London. Nevertheless, this service reverted to stopping over in Singapore when Qantas began operating a non-stop Perth to London service.

Be careful for Virgin’s performance on the Dubai-Heathrow route because it returns to this hyper-competitive market.

North America and beyond

More summer seasonal routes include Manchester (MAN) to Las Vegas, which can be operated thrice weekly in the summertime of 2024, starting June 2nd, also using the 787-9. Male (MLE), the capital of the Maldives, can be served thrice between October twenty second, 2023, and March thirty first, 2024, profiting from the winter sun demand using the Dreamliner thrice weekly.

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

Virgin can be doubling down on its Caribbean network. The tourist hub of Turks and Caicos will now have direct connections with two weekly flights by Virgin Atlantic. Connecting London Heathrow and Providenciales International Airport (PLS), the route will start on November 4th, 2023, and proceed year-round using the Dreamliner.

The carrier can be expanding its route network within the region with Bridgetown (BGI), Barbados, as a base, which is served day by day by the A330-300. Passengers can now onward to Saint Vincent (SVD) and Grenada (GND) from June 14th onward, each served twice-weekly each.

Are you excited for Virgin Atlantic’s recent routes across the globe? Tell us within the comments!