Virgin Atlantic-2

[BadgerGrowler]

Virgin has delayed it's LHR - GRU route until the Summer of 2025.

[Sotonsean]

Originally Posted by BadgerGrowler

Virgin has delayed it's LHR - GRU route until the Summer of 2025.

LHR-GRU was supposed to commence at the start of the IATA summer 2024 season which is the 31 March 2024.

LHR-GRU was originally announced in 2019 with a start date for March 2020. This was more or less at the outset of the covid pandemic but obviously it never materialised.

VS have now once again delayed commencing LHR-GRU until the summer of 2025.

It does make me wonder if LHR-GRU will ever happen.

[nguba]

Profitability remains elusive for Virgin Atlantic with another annual loss. Net debt seems very high at £3 billion.

https://corporate.virginatlantic.com...l-results.html

Virgin Atlantic Ltd (Virgin Atlantic) has released its annual financial results for the year ending 31st December 2023. Results reflect progress made in a year of sustained customer demand, as the airline capitalised on continued desire for premium leisure air travel and holidays. Virgin Atlantic reported record total revenue of £3.1 billion, up £265 million versus 2022.Continued cost discipline, combined with enhanced fleet utilisation, contributed towards record Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) of £352 million. Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) of £80 million surpassed 2019 results, achieving a key milestone on the path to sustainable profitability. Losses before tax and exceptional items narrowed to (£139) million from (£206) million in the previous year and Virgin Atlantic is on course to return to profitability in 2024. Virgin Atlantic ended the year with a robust cash position of £406 million, up from £399 million in 2022.

​​​​​​​

https://corporate.virginatlantic.com...eport_2023.pdf

[Maxfli]

Rumours of a big pay deal for Virgin Atlantic pilots (29%).
Well done BALPA

[Asturias56]

"Profitability remains elusive for Virgin Atlantic with another annual loss"

Virgin are masters at Byzantine corporate structures - even the Economist couldn't figure out how the losses and gains flowed through it. Partly it was helped by the constituent companies having a wide variety of year end dates........................

[AirbusVR]

Originally Posted by Maxfli

Rumours of a big pay deal for Virgin Atlantic pilots (29%).
Well done BALPA

Not entirely true by a loooong shot

[PAXboy]

What do VS call the most senior cabin manager? They have changed the title over the years and I cannot recall. Thanks.

[VickersVicount]

Originally Posted by PAXboy

What do VS call the most senior cabin manager? They have changed the title over the years and I cannot recall. Thanks.

Currently: ‘FSM Flight Service Manager’

[rog747]

Used to be the IFS > inflight supervisor yonks ago.

[nguba]

Virgin Atlantic will return to Tel Aviv from 5 September.

It also has new codeshare deals in place with El Al, Saudia and discussions are underway with SAS:

https://corporate.virginatlantic.com...tnerships.html

[A350Saltire]

VS to start daily flights to Toronto from LHR from May 2025 using the A333/A339:

X - Formerly Twitter

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

Originally Posted by A350Saltire

VS to start daily flights to Toronto from LHR from May 2025 using the A333/A339:

https://x.com/virginatlantic/status/...s3HZjZirllAO3Q

That seems *brave* IMHO given Air Canada's dominance and both BA and Air Transat competing!

[VickersVicount]

one year wonder… blink and you’ll miss it

[Sotonsean]

Good to see Virgin Atlantic giving Toronto another go. Hopefully this time round the route will be a success and remain within the airlines route network. This will be the first time that a Skyteam member airline has ever operated on LHR to Toronto. With VS now a member of an alliance then hopefully Toronto will be a success this time around. If so VS might even consider resuming Vancouver.

[A350Saltire]

Originally Posted by Sotonsean

Good to see Virgin Atlantic giving Toronto another go. Hopefully this time round the route will be a success and remain within the airlines route network. This will be the first time that a Skyteam member airline has ever operated on LHR to Toronto. With VS now a member of an alliance then hopefully Toronto will be a success this time around. If so VS might even consider resuming Vancouver.

VS are expanding their relationship with WS which should also boost connectivity onto the route from their network through YYZ.

https://westjet.mediaroom.com/2024-0...20relationship.

[Sotonsean]

Originally Posted by A350Saltire

VS are expanding their relationship with WS which should also boost connectivity onto the route from their network through YYZ.

https://westjet.mediaroom.com/2024-0...20relationship.

Even better.

Thanks for sharing the link.

This relationship with Westjet and the airlines extensive domestic network will give VS a good chance of success with the resumption of LHR to Toronto.

Not much in the way of Oneworld connections from Toronto and Star Alliance is well covered by Air Canada. With a Skyteam member now joining the other two alliances on LHR to Toronto and with the VS/Westjet relationship I'm sure that it will be more successful than the airlines first attempt.