Virgin Atlantic plans London-Manchester
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Virgin Atlantic plans to launch its first domestic flights next year with services between Heathrow and Manchester.
The carrier will make its first move into the domestic market on 31 March using some of its existing slots and, if rewarded, slots left by bmi in its takeover by IAG. The route is expected to operate three times a day using an Airbus A319 and help Virgin Atlantic to boost its ‘regional feed’ into long-haul services.
More than 65% of Manchester’s passengers into London connect to other destinations, with British Airways currently the only airline operating on the route.
“Flying between Heathrow and Manchester is just the start for Virgin Atlantic’s new short haul operation. We have the means to connect thousands of passengers to our long haul network as well as to destinations served by other carriers,” said Steve Ridgway, chief executive at Virgin Atlantic. “It is the perfect introduction to short haul flights for Virgin Atlantic – we know that passengers travelling from Manchester connect onto destinations we already serve; including Boston, Cape Town and Hong Kong.”