Virgin Atlantic has announced significant growth in flights from Manchester, firmly cementing the airline’s commitment to the region. 

From 2019, the number of flights is set to increase by up to 20 per cent, in what will be the airline’s biggest ever year flying from the city with up to six daily departures.

A new route to Los Angeles, coupled with an increase in services to both Boston and Las Vegas, means Virgin Atlantic will be offering customers up to 14,000 seats a week directly from Manchester to the USA and Caribbean.

A number of routes, including both New York and Atlanta, will be flown on the Boeing 747, the largest in Virgin Atlantic’s fleet. 

This means even more customers from the north-west will be able to take advantage of one stop connections to over 200 US destinations, thanks to its partnership with Delta Air Lines.

The partnership with Flybe ensures customers from across UK regions have opportunity to connect through Manchester, truly securing the airport as a significant Virgin Atlantic base.

Enhancements to the flying programme, which will commence in summer 2019, include a new route to Los Angeles, operating three times weekly, which commences on May 26th next year.

Services to Las Vegas are doubling, growing from twice a week to four times a week on from March 31st, while the Boston service increases to three times weekly from May 25th.

The daily New York and Atlanta services will also operate principally on a 747, with seat capacity of 455 per flight.

Shai Weiss, chief commercial officer at Virgin Atlantic, commented: “We’ve always said that Manchester is an important base for Virgin Atlantic and this latest expansion really cements that. 

“We’re delighted to be able to provide the best possible service to the USA by welcoming a new route to Los Angeles and doubling the amount of flights to Las Vegas. 

“By putting our aircraft on our New York, Atlanta, Boston and now Los Angeles flights, we can really maximise connectivity through our partner Delta, allowing even more customers to take advantage of over 200 US connections.”

Virgin Atlantic flies to destinations across the USA and the Caribbean from Manchester, including Orlando, New York and Barbados and flies Airbus A330-200 along with the Boeing 747. 

All cabins enjoy complimentary food and drink, with a full Wi-Fi offering on board.