With the launch of direct flight to Bengaluru from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York JFK and Seattle via London Heathrow and second daily flight to Mumbai, Virgin Atlantic is now offering an additional 25,000 tonnes of cargo capacity from the fashion, pharmaceuticals and tech sectors.
“With five daily services, Virgin Atlantic Cargo will offer 43,000 tonnes of space available to and from India, which is a 336 percent increase in capacity versus 2019,” says an official release.
Beginning October 27, 2024, the second daily Mumbai services will operate on the airline’s state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000, the release added. Virgin Atlantic has a strategic partnership with IndiGo, India’s leading airline, and the partnership offers 36 additional destinations.
“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 ,” says Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer, Virgin Atlantic. “We know both our customers and people love travelling 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 U.S. 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 personalised service, delivered by our amazing people.”
2023 cargo revenue down 48%
Virgin Atlantic reported a 48 percent decline in cargo revenue at £196 million compared to £377 million in 2022 and lower than 2019 by eight percent (2019: £214 million). Yields outperformed 2019 by a third (£1.24/kg vs £0.94/kg) but was down 37 percent YoY, and tonnage was 30 percent behind 2019 and 17 percent down on 2022.
International connections of cargo movement through the transit points in London Heathrow to North America happens through its partnership with Delta Air Lines, which is also an equity partner (49 percent) in Virgin Atlantic. Virgin Group, promoted by Richard Branson, continues to be the majority shareholder with 51 percent stake.