Virgin Atlantic boss calls on Govt to make ‘difficult decisions’ and bring pound up September 27, 2022 Virgin Atlantic’s boss Shai Weiss has called on Prime Minister Liz Truss to make “difficult decisions” and bring the pound’s value up. “The message to the government is pretty clear in my mind,” he told journalists on Tuesday morning. “Prime Minister Liz Truss has taken difficult decisions upon entering the role. “Maybe you need to [...]
Virgin Atlantic to join global airline alliance SkyTeam from 2023 September 27, 2022 Virgin Atlantic has announced it will join global airline alliance SkyTeam from early 2023, becoming the first carrier to enter the organisation in eight years. It will also be the first and only UK airline to become a SkyTeam member. Chief executive Shai Weiss told journalists on Tuesday morning the move was “an obvious extension” [...]
London airports cancel flights to avoid noise on Queen’s funeral September 15, 2022 London airports such as Heathrow and London City are cancelling flights to avoid noise on Monday, the day of the Queen’s funeral. Heathrow has announced it will cut 15 per cent of its daily schedule, i.e. more than 100 flights, while London City will not fly over Westminster. The west London hub – jointly with [...]
Heathrow hits back after Virgin Atlantic says airport ‘fleecing’ passengers with ‘disproportionate’ fees May 12, 2022 THE EXTRAORDINARY public spat between two of the world’s largest airlines and Heathrow airport moved into another stratosphere yesterday after Virgin Atlantic’s boss said Heathrow was “abusing its monopoly to fleece passengers.” Both Virgin and BA-owner IAG have hit out at Heathrow after the airport asked the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to allow it to [...]
Tail between the legs: NYC-bound Virgin Atlantic plane u-turns due to ‘rostering error’ May 5, 2022 A Virgin Atlantic plane was forced to go back to Heathrow due to one of its pilots being not properly trained. The plane, which was headed towards New York, was 40 minutes into its journey on Monday when the personnel realised there had been a “rostering error” which put a not fully qualified pilot on [...]
Virgin Atlantic accuses Heathrow of ‘cynically’ downplaying recovery to increase fees May 2, 2022 Virgin Atlantic has accused Heathrow of “cynically” downplaying its recovery to increase passenger fees. “With remaining UK travel restrictions now removed, Heathrow is set to be the busiest airport in Europe this year,” a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson told aviation website Simpleflying today. The airline accused the London-hub of “seeding doubt in the strength of demand” [...]
Virgin Atlantic reaps the rewards from oil bet in pandemic rebound March 13, 2022 Virgin Atlantic will offer the same number of seats for customers as this summer as it did in 2019 - prior to the pandemic.
Virgin Atlantic to adopt lower carbon fuel converted from plastic in net zero push February 15, 2022 Virgin Atlantic is set to adopt a new, lower carbon fuel that has been converted from waste plastics as part of a new partnership with chemical conversion technology firm Agilyx. The collaboration spans the Virgin Group, including Virgin Orbit, and aims to tackle both the plastic problem and carbon emissions. “We cannot keep wasting all [...]
Virgin Atlantic slammed for ‘overblown and oppressive’ staff socialising ban January 30, 2022 Virgin Atlantic has been criticised for not allowing airline staff to socialise in a bid to prevent Covid outbreaks. Under a policy that has been in place since 21 December, pilots and cabin crew and not allowed to eat or socialise together. Bosses are trying to crack down on a party culture that they fear [...]
London snub: Branson heads for Amsterdam SPAC listing January 7, 2022 The Virgin Group has drawn up plans to list a new special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in Amsterdam in the coming months, insiders report.