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Virgin Atlantic Cargo and Delta Cargo expand network between the U.K. and United States
• Virgin Atlantic increases flights from both Gatwick and Heathrow, with additional east coast and west coast services
• Delta returns to Manchester and will join forces with Virgin Atlantic at Gatwick for the first time
• Summer 2020 schedules to offer cargo customers of both airlines their best-ever choice of trans-Atlantic routes and frequencies
LONDON and ATLANTA, August 15, 2019: Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines are boosting flights between the U.K. and U.S. from next summer in a move which sees Delta join Virgin Atlantic at Gatwick Airport for the first time together and promises cargo customers their best-ever choice of trans-Atlantic capacity, routes and frequencies.
Growth at Gatwick
Gatwick will become Delta’s seventh trans-Atlantic destination served nonstop from Boston when flights begin on May, 22 2020. One day before, Virgin Atlantic will launch a daily flight to New York-JFK from Gatwick. Together, the airlines will offer up to four daily flights to three U.S. cities next summer.
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 U.K. from the northeast United States will benefit from a choice of up to 18 daily flights between Boston and New York and two London airports, plus Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
More frequencies from Heathrow
Beginning March 29, 2020, Delta and Virgin Atlantic will increase capacity between New York-JFK and London Heathrow. Delta will increase its services to three daily frequencies, with Virgin Atlantic operating five, providing more flight options connecting one of the world’s premier trade lanes. This includes a daytime slot from JFK-Heathrow for the first time, operated by Delta, complementing 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 west coast hubs, as it ups 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.
More for Manchester
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 increase 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 U.S. cities next summer. Dominic Kennedy, Managing Director, Cargo at Virgin Atlantic, said: “This is great news for the cargo customers of both airlines and will significantly increase the choice they have to ship goods between the U.K. and U.S. 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 and will help to reinforce our position as a carrier of choice on the highly-competitive trans-Atlantic market.”
Shawn Cole, Delta Air Lines’ Vice President-Cargo, commented: “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 and ensure we continue to meet our customers’ service expectations.”
Ends
About Virgin Atlantic Cargo
Cargo has been an important part of Virgin Atlantic’s business ever since the airline was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson 34 years ago. Today, the airline carries over 240 million kilos of cargo annually and, with a strong com- mitment to innovation and customer service at its core, Virgin Atlantic Cargo is recognised as one of the world’s most customer-focused and service-oriented airlines, earning 14 international Cargo Airline of the Year awards. Headquartered in London, Virgin Atlantic Cargo trades in 37 countries and sells services to destinations in over 60 countries worldwide. Alongside joint venture partner Delta Cargo, they operate a leading transatlantic network, offering a choice of 38 flights a day between the UK and US which, in 2018, carried over a quarter of total trans-Atlantic air cargo volumes. Virgin Atlantic Cargo is also the long-haul international cargo sales and management partner for Virgin Australia, connecting the two airline’s networks over Los Angeles and Hong Kong. In 2019, Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s volumes will benefit from a 22% increase in capacity provided by the delivery of the airline’s first Airbus A350-1000 aircraft as well as the launch of its new Tel Aviv route in September. Investment in new technologies will make the airline even easier to do business with, while in Q4 will see Virgin Atlantic Cargo and Delta Cargo move in a state-of-the-art cargo terminal, doubling the size of their joint Heathrow operation.
On May 15, 2018 Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic Limited signed definitive agreements to combine the existing trans-Atlantic joint ventures. Closer cooperation between Delta Cargo, Air France KLM Cargo and Virgin Atlantic Cargo across the trans-Atlantic is subject to regulatory approvals and the receipt of anti-trust immunity (ATI) from the US Department of Transportation (DOT). Once ATI is received, the cargo divisions will be able to start working together giving customers more choice across a broad network of passenger flights with joint trucking options and tailored products and services. For more information, go to virginatlanticcargo.com
About Delta Cargo
Delta CargoAir Lines offers (NYSE: access DAL) to anis theindustry-leading U.S. global airline global leader network, in products,reaching moreservices, than innovation,310 destinations reliability in 54 and countries customer on experience.six continents Powered and carrying by its more80,000 than people 2.2 billionaround cargo the world, ton-miles Delta each continues year. Whether to invest it’s billions life-saving in its pharmaceuticals,people, delivering or a- world-classgans for transplant, travel experience fresh flowers, and generatingasparagus, industry-leading luxury cars or bulk shareholder shipments, returns. Delta HeadquarteredCargo offers reliable in Atlanta, shipping Delta services offers morewith GPS, than real-time5,000 daily tracking departures and same-dayand as many delivery as 15,000 options. affiliated With itsdepartures 24/7 Cargo including Control the Center premier for proactiveSkyTeam alliance,shipment of whichmonitoring Delta and is a foundingIATA’s CEIV member. Pharma The certification, airline serves Delta nearly Cargo 200 millioncontinues people to be every an industry year, taking leader. customers In 2018, to Deltamore Cargothan 300received destinations Air Cargo in World’sover 50 Aircountries. Cargo Excellence Delta operates Gold significant Award. Also hubs in 2018, and keyDelta markets was named at airports to Fortune’s in the Unitedtop 50 StatesMost Adand- worldwidemired Companies in conjunction in addition with toits being alliance named partners. the most More admired about Delta airline can for be the found seventh on the time Delta in eight News years. Hub asHeadquartered well as delta. com,in Atlanta, via @DeltaNewsHub Delta employs more on Twitter than 80,000 and Facebook.com/delta. employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. Delta is a member of the SkyTeam Cargo global alliance and participates in joint venture partnerships with Air France-KLM Cargo, Virgin Atlantic Cargo and Aeromexico Cargo, and in cooperation with Korean Air Cargo. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets. Visit www.DeltaCargo.com to subscribe to news updates and operational advisories. Look for the red ‘Subscribe’ button on the Alerts & News page.