Virgin Atlantic, Delta Air Lines raise capacity, frequency of US-UK flights

VIRGIN Atlantic and Delta Air Lines are bolstering their trans-Atlantic flight networks between the UK and US from next summer, with Delta resuming services from Gatwick Airport.

Gatwick will become Delta's seventh trans-Atlantic destination and be served nonstop from Boston, starting from May 22, 2020. One day before, Virgin Atlantic will commence a daily flight to New York-JFK from Gatwick. The carriers combined will offer up to four daily flights to three US cities next summer, reported AJOT.



Delta's return to Gatwick will mark the first time the airlines have both served the airport since their partnership began in 2014.



Customers shipping cargo to the UK from the northeast United States will be offered up to 18 daily flights between Boston and New York and two London airports, plus Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.



Beginning March, 29 2020, Delta and Virgin Atlantic will raise capacity between New York-JFK and London Heathrow. Delta will increase its services to three daily frequencies, with Virgin Atlantic operating five. This includes a daytime slot from JFK-Heathrow operated by Delta, which will complement the daytime Boston-Heathrow and JFK-Heathrow services currently offered by Virgin Atlantic.



Virgin Atlantic's Heathrow-JFK flights will also be the first route served by the airline's new Airbus A350 from September 2019, which will offer a further cargo capacity boost.



Virgin Atlantic is also set to increase flights to important US west coast hubs, as it boosts frequencies from Heathrow to Seattle from seven to 11 per week. Los Angeles will also see services rise from 14 to 17 flights per week, with up to three services per day operating in the busy summer months and will be the second route to be operated by the A350 next year.



Delta will return to Manchester, with a new peak-summer service to Boston effective May 21, 2020, taking over Virgin Atlantic's current operation. Flights will rise from the current three per week to a daily service.



Manchester will become the eighth trans-Atlantic destination served nonstop by Delta from Boston, while flights to Atlanta, New York-JFK, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orlando will continue to be operated by Virgin Atlantic. Together, the airlines will offer a schedule of up to six daily flights to Manchester from six US cities next summer.



Cargo at Virgin Atlantic managing director Dominic Kennedy said: 'As we continue to build a platform for long-term growth, our summer 2020 schedule represents another strengthening of our joint venture with Delta Cargo.'



Delta Air Lines' cargo vice president Shawn Cole added: 'We're excited to be sharing this expansion with our joint venture partner, Virgin Atlantic, and to be returning to London Gatwick as well as Manchester and growing our international network from Boston.



'Our new services from Heathrow will also be supported by the opening later this year of our new joint cargo terminal, which will ultimately double our cargo handling capacity at the airport.'


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