Virgin Atlantic News
Virgin Atlantic to add new destinations as recovery gathers pace
New destinations include Hong Kong (to relaunch on July 20th), Barbados (August 1st), Shanghai (August 4th), Lagos (August 23rd) and Atlanta (August 25th).
Virgin Atlantic to offer passenger services from next month
Virgin Atlantic has announced its plan to restart passenger flying. Services from London Heathrow to Orlando, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York JFK and Los Angeles set to resume from July 20th onward.
Branson to sell $500m stake in Virgin Galactic
Richard Branson is reportedly to sell a stake in Virgin Galactic to raise $500 million to prop up his other businesses. He currently owns 55 per cent of the venture, and is thus likely to lose his controlling interest.
Unite brands Virgin Atlantic job losses premature
“The company as yet have not formally notified us of the detail of their proposals, and we urge them not to act in haste while the job retention scheme is in operation,” said Unite national officer for civil air transport Oliver Richardson.
Virgin Atlantic to cut jobs and close Gatwick base
Virgin Atlantic is to cut a third of its staff in the UK in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with as many as 3,150 positions to go. At the same time, the carrier will permanently cease operations at Gatwick.
Virgin Atlantic faces collapse without government support
Virgin Atlantic could be in imminent danger of collapse without government support, founder Richard Branson has warned. The carrier is believed to be seeking £500 million from the UK government.
Furloughed cabin crew to work at Nightingale hospitals
Virgin Atlantic and easyJet are asking staff who have not been working since the Covid-19 pandemic started to ground planes to consider helping at the new hospitals being built across the country.
Chancellor Sunak rules out support for UK aviation sector
Having previously pledged to work with carriers to overcome the financial difficulties created by the coronavirus pandemic, chancellor Rishi Sunak has now advised airlines to find other forms of funding.
Branson invests US$250m to sustain Virgin Group
Entrepreneur Richard Branson is set to invest US$250 million into the Virgin Group as the company battles the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. “This is the most significant crisis the world has experienced in my lifetime,” said Branson.
Virgin Atlantic to drastically cut operations until end of April
Virgin Atlantic will reduce its schedule by approximately 80 per cent in terms of flights per day by March 26th. The move comes following a rapid acceleration of the impact of Covid-19 on global aviation and tourism.
European Union to act over coronavirus ghost flights
Officials at the European Union are seeking to offer struggling airlines a lifeline by suspending rules forcing them to run almost empty planes in order to keep prized landing slots.
Coronavirus pushes Flybe into administration
Regional airline Flybe has gone into administration. Falling demand for air travel in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak was partially to blame, the carrier said in a statement.