Virgin Atlantic has made the decision to scale back flights on several of its significant US routes for the winter season, reflecting a notable shift in travel demand between the UK and the United States.
According to the latest scheduling data provided by aviation analytics company Cirium, the most substantial reductions will affect the airline’s services from London Heathrow to Orlando, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.
Earlier this year, Virgin Atlantic cautioned about a slowdown in transatlantic travel demand, despite the addition of two new North American routes connecting to Cancun and Toronto.
While Virgin Atlantic had a successful 2024, marking its first profitable year since 2016, it continues to grapple with over $1 billion in debt generated during the pandemic period.
Data indicates that the largest reduction in frequency will occur on the London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) route. Starting in November, flights will be cut in half, with total frequencies dropping from ten to seven flights per week for the remainder of the winter.
Despite previous discussions about potentially introducing two peak daily flights for San Francisco, the airline has opted for a contrasting strategy that involves significant cuts.
Additionally, Virgin Atlantic will reduce its flights from Heathrow to Orlando International Airport (MCO), decreasing the weekly schedule from ten flights to seven beginning in December.
There will also be some adjustments to the daily connection between Heathrow and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), with one or two weekly flights expected to be eliminated between January and March.
Minor changes will also affect other routes; specifically, a few flights from London Heathrow and Manchester (MAN) to New York JFK (JFK) will see slight reductions over the winter period.
In light of these developments, Simple Flying has reached out to Virgin Atlantic for further comments and anticipates updates regarding this situation.
The question remains whether transatlantic demand is indeed on a decline. Virgin Atlantic reported earlier this year that it had started observing signals of a slowdown in US travel demand, which prompted the decision to cut flights in its US network.
This decision comes after Virgin Atlantic had already reduced certain routes back in April, notably by removing a daily frequency to JFK and reducing flights to Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) from seven to four weekly.
Other large European carriers have also reported decreased demand, particularly during the summer months. Airlines such as Air France-KLM and Lufthansa have felt the impact, and so has IAG, the parent group of British Airways and Aer Lingus, which heavily relies on the lucrative transatlantic market.
Analysts attribute much of this dip in demand to the weakening US economy, which has particularly affected the premium travel market.
Additionally, with President Donald Trump returning to office in January, alongside rising diplomatic tensions and increased border checks, uncertainty in travel has heightened further.
Virgin Atlantic has a long history of service to the United States, having operated flights for over 41 years since its debut flight from London Gatwick to Newark Liberty in the summer of 1984.
Today, the airline connects to nearly a dozen US destinations, with the majority of flights originating from its hub at London Heathrow.
Virgin Atlantic is recognized as one of the ‘Big Five’ transatlantic airlines, alongside British Airways, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, operating the second-highest number of flights across the Atlantic after BA.
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