VIRGIN Atlantic has announced its plans to grow to record levels of sustained profitability by 2018. Building on its existing two year recovery plan, which is on target to deliver an annual profit by the end of 2014, the airline is now shifting focus onto positioning its business for long- term success.
The proposed changes include:• A new daily service from London Heathrow to Detroit (Virgin is taking over the summer-only service that Delta Air Lines currently operates to Detroit and extending this to a year round service)• An additional daily service from London Heathrow to New York, JFK• An additional daily service from London Heathrow to Los Angeles• An additional daily service during the summer season from London Heathrow to Atlanta• An additional summer seasonal service from London Heathrow to San Francisco flying five times a week• An additional daily service during the winter season from London Heathrow to Miami• A transfer of operations with joint venture partner Delta Air Lines that will see Virgin Atlantic fly a daily service between Manchester and Atlanta and Delta fly one of Virgin Atlantic’s existing London Heathrow to Newark services. This service will be retimed to operate as an overnight flight from Newark.• In addition, Delta Air Lines will launch a new daily service between Manchester and New York JFK in Summer 2015.In order to maximise these opportunities, further proposed changes will include:• A withdrawal of operations to Tokyo Narita with the final flight from London to Narita on January 31, 2015 and the final flight from Narita to London on February 1, 2015.• A withdrawal of operations to Mumbai with the final flight from London to Mumbai on January 31, 2015 and the final flight from Mumbai to London on February 1, 2015.• The summer seasonal service from London Heathrow to Vancouver will not return after this season’s flying programme is completed on October 11, 2014.• The winter seasonal service to Cape Town will operate as planned in winter 2014/15 but will not be renewed the following winter. The final flight from London to Cape Town will be on April 26, 2015 and the final flight from Cape Town to London on April 27, 2015.Virgin Atlantic will include a continued presence in South Africa through its Johannesburg service, a continued presence in India through its Delhi service, as well as flights to other key destinations in Asia, Africa, Caribbean and the Middle East.A major programme of work is already underway that will see £300 million ($490 million) invested by the end of 2018, on the ground and in the air. The imminent arrival of Virgin Atlantic’s first Boeing 787-9 will continue a fleet modernisation programme of over £2 billion ($3.2 billion) that will give it one of the youngest fleets in the world.