This week, Virgin Atlantic launched flights to the start-up capital of India, Bengaluru, a key destination for US customers connecting onwards via London Heathrow from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Seattle, and more. With average connection times of one to two hours, the route promises optimal connectivity for those traveling for business or enjoying a vibrant city stay in India’s third most populous city.
In addition, the airline is delighted to add a second daily flight to Mumbai, signaling its continued commitment to the region. The new flight is the airline’s fifth daily service to India and complements its double daily services to Delhi and daily flights to Bengaluru.
From 2025, Virgin Atlantic will offer more than one million seats to the country, a 350 percent capacity growth since 2019, cementing India’s position as a key strategic market for the airline and marking its largest area of growth outside the United States. Alongside customer options, the increase in flying to Mumbai is also a huge boost for cargo operations, as the airline is set to carry an additional 25,000 tons of cargo from the fashion, pharmaceuticals, and tech sectors. With five daily services, Virgin Atlantic Cargo will offer 42.1 million kg of space available to and from India which is a 336 percent increase in capacity versus 2019.
Beginning October 27, 2024 and on sale from April 6, 2024, the second daily Mumbai services will operate on the airline’s state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000, offering Upper Class, Premium and Economy Delight, Classic and Light cabins as well as the airline’s signature Upper Class social space. It will also offer seamless connectivity and a premium long-haul experience for those customers connecting via London Heathrow from key gateways throughout the United States including San Francisco, New York JFK, Atlanta, Seattle, Boston, and Los Angeles, with Virgin Atlantic and transatlantic joint venture partner, Delta Air Lines.
In addition to offering seamless connectivity for US customers to three destinations in India, Virgin Atlantic has a strategic partnership with IndiGo, India’s leading airline. Customers can book one ticket which allows them to connect onwards to popular destinations in India such as Ahmedabad, Goa and Hyderabad through Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. In total the partnership offers 36 additional destinations and has connected more than 80,000 customers to date.
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic, commented: “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. We know both our customers and people love traveling 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 US 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 personalized service, delivered by our amazing people.”
