 | |||||||
 Virgin AtlanticAirbus A350-1000 | |||||||
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| Founded | 1984; 41 years ago (1984) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 22 June 1984; 41 years ago (1984-06-22) | ||||||
| AOC # | 534 (VAA Ltd) 2435 (VAI Ltd) | ||||||
| Hubs | |||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Flying Club | ||||||
| Alliance | SkyTeam | ||||||
| Fleet size | 44 | ||||||
| Destinations | 22 | ||||||
| Parent company | Virgin Atlantic Limited (owned 51% byVirgin Group, 49% byDelta Air Lines) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Crawley,West Sussex, England | ||||||
| Key people | |||||||
| Founder | Richard Branson | ||||||
| Revenue |  £3.301billion (2024)[4] | ||||||
| Operating income | £230.5million (2024)[4] | ||||||
| Net income |  £-131.8million (2024)[4] | ||||||
| Total assets | £4.214billion (2024)[4] | ||||||
| Total equity | £-1.280billion (2024)[4] | ||||||
| Employees | 8760 (2024)[4] | ||||||
| Website | virginatlantic.com | ||||||
Virgin Atlantic, atrading name ofVirgin Atlantic Airways Limited andVirgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British airline with its head office inCrawley, West Sussex, England. The airline was established in 1984 asBritish Atlantic Airways, and was originally planned by its co-foundersRandolph Fields andAlan Hellary to fly betweenLondon and theFalkland Islands. Soon after changing the name to Virgin Atlantic Airways, Fields sold his shares in the company toRichard Branson in return for unlimited free travel.[5] The maiden flight fromLondon–Gatwick toNewark took place on 22 June 1984.
The airline along withVirgin Holidays is controlled by a holding company, Virgin Atlantic Limited, which is 51% owned by theVirgin Group and 49% byDelta Air Lines. It is administratively separate from other Virgin-branded airlines. Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited both holdCivil Aviation Authority (CAA) Type A Operating Licences (AOC numbers 534[6] and 2435 respectively),[6] both of which permit these airlines, operating as Virgin Atlantic Airways, to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.[7]
Virgin Atlantic uses a mixed fleet ofAirbus andBoeingwide-body aircraft and operates to destinations in North America, theCaribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia from its main hub atLondon–Heathrow and its secondary hub atManchester. The airline also operates seasonal services fromEdinburgh. Virgin Atlantic aircraft consist of three cabins: Economy, Premium (formerlyPremium economy)[8] and Upper Class (business).
In July 2017, Virgin Atlantic announced its intention to form a joint venture withAir France-KLM, but in December 2019, it was announced that the joint venture would not include a stake in the company.[9]
On 5 May 2020, it was announced that due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the airline would lay off 3,000 staff, reduce the fleet size to 35 by the summer of 2022, retire theBoeing 747-400s[10] and would not resume operations from Gatwick following the pandemic.[11]
Virgin Atlantic filed forChapter 15 bankruptcy protection in New York on 4 August 2020, as part of a £1.2 billion private refinancing package.[12][13] The airline joined theSkyTeamairline alliance in March 2023.[14]
Virgin Atlantic has its origins in a joint endeavour byRandolph Fields, an American-born lawyer, andAlan Hellary, a former chief pilot for British private airlineLaker Airways. Following the collapse of Laker Airways in 1982, Fields and Hellary decided to establish a new company, initially namedBritish Atlantic Airways, as a successor.[15] Reportedly, Fields had formed a concept for an airline that would operate between London and theFalkland Islands during June 1982, when theFalklands War had just finished.[16]
However, it was soon determined that the short runway atPort Stanley Airport, and the time it would take to improve it, would render a route to the Falklands commercially unviable; thus, the idea of such a service was dropped. In its place, Hellary and Fields commenced efforts to secure a licence to operate a route betweenGatwick Airport,London andJohn F. Kennedy International Airport,New York City. During May 1983, a three-day inquiry was conducted, which chose to reject the application following objections fromBritish Airways,British Caledonian andBAA.[17]
Hellary and Fields then applied for a licence between Gatwick andNewark,New Jersey, using a 380-seatMcDonnell Douglas DC-10.[15]
On 22 June 1984, Virgin Atlantic operated its inaugural scheduled service, flown between Gatwick and Newark using a leasedBoeing 747-200 (registrationG-VIRG), christenedMaiden Voyager,[15] which had been formerly operated byAerolíneas Argentinas. From the onset, its activities were augmented by leveraging existingVirgin Group resources, such as tickets being sold atVirgin Megastores record shops.[18]
Part of Richard Branson's declared approach to business is to either succeed within the first year or exit the market; this ethos includes a one-year limit on everything associated with starting up operations.[19]
In November 1984, the airline launched a service between Gatwick Airport andMaastricht Aachen Airport in the Netherlands using a charteredBAC One-Eleven.[20]
In 1986, the airline added another Boeing 747 to its fleet and started a scheduled route from Gatwick toMiami. Additional aircraft were quickly acquired, and new routes were launched from Gatwick, such as toNew York JFK in 1988,Tokyo Narita in 1989,Los Angeles in 1990,Boston in 1991, andOrlando in 1992. In 1987, Virgin Atlantic launched a service betweenLuton andDublin using secondhandVickers Viscountturboprop aircraft, but this route was withdrawn around 1990. The airline also operated a Viscount service between Maastricht and London Luton Airport in 1989.[21]
In 1991, Virgin Atlantic was given permission to operate fromHeathrow following the abolition of the London Air Traffic Distribution Rules (TDRs), which had governed the distribution of traffic between Heathrow and Gatwick airports since 1978, primarily to bolster the profitability of Gatwick.[22]
TheCivil Aviation Authority also transferred two pairs of unusedlanding slots that British Airways held at Tokyo'sNarita Airport to Virgin Atlantic, allowing it to increase frequency between Heathrow and Tokyo from four to six weekly round trips, making it easier to compete against British Airways. The chairman of BA,Lord King, called the CAA's decision, which the government had endorsed, "a confiscation of his company's property".[23]
In the year to October 1993, Virgin Atlantic declared a loss of £9.3 million. The decision to abolish the London TDRs and to let Virgin Atlantic operate at Heathrow, in competition with British Airways, became the trigger for BA's so-calleddirty tricks campaign against the company. During 1993, BA'spublic relations director,David Burnside, published an article inBA News, British Airways' internal magazine, which argued that Branson's protests against British Airways were a publicity stunt. Branson sued British Airways for libel, using the services ofGeorge CarmanQC. BA settled out of court when its lawyers discovered the lengths to which the company had gone in trying to kill off Virgin Atlantic. British Airways had to pay a legal bill of up to £3 million, damages to Branson of £500,000, and a further £110,000 to his airline. Branson reportedly donated the proceeds from the case to Virgin Atlantic staff.[24][25]
During the late 1990s, Virgin Atlantic jets were painted with "No Way BA/AA" as a declaration of its opposition to the attempted merger between British Airways andAmerican Airlines.[26] In 1997, following British Airways' announcement that it was to remove theUnion Flag from its tailfins in favour ofworld images, Virgin Atlantic introduced a Union Flag design on thewinglets of its aircraft and changed the red dress on theScarlet Lady on the nose of aircraft to the union flag with the tag line "Britain's Flag Carrier". This was a tongue-in-cheek challenge to BA's traditional role as the UK'sflag carrier.[27]
In June 2006, US and UK competition authorities investigated allegedprice fixing between Virgin Atlantic and British Airways over passenger fuel surcharges.[28] In August 2007, BA was fined £271 million by the UKOffice of Fair Trading (OFT) and the US Department of Justice.[29] However, the Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic, Steve Ridgway, was forced to admit that the company had been a party to the agreement, had been aware of the price-fixing and had taken no steps whatsoever to stop the price-fixing.[30]
In April 2010, a tip-off fromCathay Pacific led to an OFT investigation of alleged price-fixing between Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific on flights to Hong Kong between 2002 and 2006. Cathay Pacific received immunity from prosecution for reporting the alleged offence. A maximum fine, if found guilty, was 10% of turnover, which, based on the £2.5 billion in sales for the year to February 2009, would have been £250 million.[31] At the time, the OFT stressed that it should not be assumed that the parties involved had broken the law.[32] The OFT cleared both airlines in December 2012, concluding there were no grounds for action.[33]
In December 2004 Virgin Atlantic began flying toSydney, Australia via Hong Kong.[34] In May 2014 the Sydney service ceased.[35]
In September 2014, Virgin Atlantic announced plans to scrap flights to Tokyo, Mumbai, Vancouver, and Cape Town, and tocodeshare transatlantic flights withDelta Air Lines; the company was also reported to be considering axing its new Little Red domestic airline after suffering heavy losses.[36]
On 6 October 2014, Virgin Atlantic confirmed that Little Red services between London and Manchester would end in March 2015, and that the Scottish routes would be terminated in September 2015.[37]
In June 2015, Richard Branson stated that Virgin Atlantic had needed the aforementioned deal with Delta to survive, after losses of £233 million between 2010 and 2013.[38] In the same month, the airline announced it would cut 500 jobs to establish a more efficient management structure.[39]
In July 2017, Air France-KLM nearly acquired a 31% stake in Virgin Atlantic for £220 million. This deal however never went through.[40]
In 2019, Virgin Atlantic began to allow its femaleflight attendants to not wear makeup and have a choice to wear trousers rather than a skirt.[41] In September 2019, it was announced Virgin Atlantic had outlined plans to expand.[42] A key part of these plans would have been acquiringFlybe, with a plan to rebrand it as "Virgin Connect" from early 2020; however, the plans fell through when Flybe filed for administration and ceased operations in March 2020.[43][44][45] In December 2019, Branson announced that he would be scrapping the sale of a 31% stake in the airline to Air France-KLM and that Virgin Group would retain its 51% shareholding.[46] In the same year, Virgin Atlantic stopped flying to Dubai, a major aviation and tourism hub owing to COVID and issues related to competition.[47]
In March 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic attracted criticism by asking employees to take eight weeks' unpaid leave. However, this was before the UK Government announced theCoronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and employees were subsequently furloughed instead.[48] Whilst furloughed, many staff volunteered with theNational Health Service, answering 999 calls, and atNHS trusts in London and the South East.[49] On 27 March, it was reported that Virgin Atlantic was expected to seek a government bailout, which was on 1 April reportedly backed byRolls-Royce,Airbus andHeathrow Airport Holdings.[50][51]
In May 2020, Virgin Atlantic announced over 3,000 jobs losses in the UK and an imminent end to operations atGatwick Airport.[52] On 7 June, Virgin Atlantic commenced cargo-only flights between Brussels Airport and London Heathrow, feeding the high demand for European cargo into its network via LHR. As of 2022 the flights still continue on a daily basis, using all aircraft types within the fleet.On 4 August, Virgin Atlantic filed forbankruptcy protection from creditors in the US as part of a recapitalisation and debt restructuring plan.[53] On 25 August 2020, creditors approved the £1.2bn (€1.3bn) rescue package and debt restructuring.[54] On 4 September 2020, Virgin Atlantic announced a second round of job cuts, totalling 1,150 across all departments. Since the start of 2020, the company halved its workforce due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief executive Shai Weiss said that "further reducing the number of people we employ is heartbreaking but essential."[55][56]
As of February 2022, duringRussia'sinvasion of Ukraine, Virgin Atlantic, along with the other UK carriers, observed a ban from travelling in Russianairspace that was a retaliatory measure for the UK's ban on Russia'smain carrier,Aeroflot and all other Russian private jets and carriers from using UK airspace.[57]
On 27 September 2022, Virgin Atlantic announced that the airline would joinSkyTeam airline alliance in early 2023.[58][59] It was first time that a British airline joined an airline alliance sinceBritish Midland International joinedStar Alliance in 2002 andBritish Airways ofOneworld in 1999. In February 2023, the airline stated that it would join SkyTeam on 2 March 2023.[60]
In November 2023, the airlines announced plans to resume its flights to Dubai after four years of ceasing operations in the emirate.[61] Also in November 2023, the airline announced plans to operate a flight on 28 November between London Heathrow and New York City using 100 per centsustainable aviation fuel.[62] The flight was operated on the airlines'Boeing 787-9.[63] The flight was successful and made it to New York from London on 28 November 2023.[64] Because it was a test flight, there were no fare-paying passengers.[65]
On 19 May 2024, it was reported that approximately 200 former cabin crew were suing Virgin Atlantic for unfair dismissal during the redundancy process following theCOVID-19 pandemic. It was reported that they protected over 350 new hires who had only completed approximately 1 week of training out of 6 weeks rather than keep experienced older staff who had been with the airline for over 20 years.[66]
Virgin Atlantic's head office, known asThe VHQ, is located on a business park inCrawley, England, nearGatwick Airport[67] and also houses the corporate offices ofVirgin Holidays.[68] The company operates several offices and call centres around the United Kingdom, including a large office inSwansea,Wales, which is a base for reservations, sales, baggage claims and tracing, 'live chat' web support and a customer relations department.[69]
International offices are located atAtlanta, Barbados, Greater Delhi, Johannesburg, Lagos and Shanghai.[70][71][72][73][74][75]
In December 1999, Virgin Group agreed a deal to sell a 49% stake in the airline toSingapore Airlines for £600 million.[76][77] The transaction was completed on 30 March 2000.[78]
On 14 May 2008, Singapore Airlines formally announced an invitation for offers for its Virgin Atlantic stake, and publicly acknowledged that its stake in the airline had underperformed.[79]
In November 2010, Virgin Atlantic appointedDeutsche Bank to begin a strategic review of options for the airline following the tie-up between British Airways and American Airlines.[80] By February 2011, it was confirmed thatSkyTeam membersAir France–KLM and Delta Air Lines had appointedGoldman Sachs to advise them on a joint potential approach for Virgin Atlantic.Etihad Airways was also reported to be considering a deal,[81] andWillie Walsh, chief executive ofInternational Airlines Group, stated that they would be interested in the airline, but only for the lucrative take-off and landing slots it holds at Heathrow Airport.[82]
On 11 December 2012, Delta Air Lines announced it had agreed terms to purchase Singapore Airlines' 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic for £224 million, with plans to develop a transatlantic joint venture. Regulatory approval from the United States and European Union was granted on 20 June 2013,[83] and the purchase was completed on 24 June.[84] In December 2012, International Airlines Group CEO, Willie Walsh, suggested that the loss-making company would be history within five years. "I can't see Delta wanting to operate the Virgin brand because if they do what does that say about the Delta brand? I just don't see that the guy [Branson] has anything that stands out in terms of what he has achieved in the industry."[85]
In July 2017, Virgin Group agreed to sell a 31% stake in the airline to Air France-KLM for £220 million, leaving it with a 20% holding.[40] The deal fell through in late 2019.[86][87]
The key trends for Virgin Atlantic are shown below (from 2014 onwards, figures are for year ending December; earlier figures are for year ending February, and excludeVirgin Nigeria operations 2005–2008):
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover (£m) | 1,630 | 2,337 | 2,579 | 2,357 | 2,700 | 2,740 | 2,870 | 2,828 | 2,782 | 2,689 | 2,664 | 2,781 | 2,927 | 868 | 928 | 2,854 | 3,118 | 3,301 |
| Profit (EBT) (£m) | 68.0 | 22.9 | 68.4 | −132.0 | 18.5 | −80.2 | −69.9 | −174.7 | 87.5 | 23.0 | −28.4 | −12.8 | −63.7 | -659 | -594 | -341.6 | -224.6 | -95.9 |
| Net profit (£m) | 80.1 | 187.3 | −65.6 | −38.4 | −54.7 | −864.1 | -486 | -515 | -110.7 | -144.1 | ||||||||
| Number of employees (average monthly) | c.9,000 | 9,580 | 9,231 | 9,005 | 8,875 | 8,303 | 8,571 | 10,051 | 7,437 | 6,500 | 6,532 | 7,342 | 7,629 | |||||
| Total flights | 21,344 | 22,149 | 20,735 | 19,484 | 20,519 | 21,033 | 28,373 | 29,710 | 27,147 | 21,883 | 6 673 | 7 966 | 21,835 | 23,720 | 24,832 | |||
| Number of passengers (m) | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.9 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 5.6 |
| Passenger load factor (%) | 76.5 | 76.9 | 78.9 | 82.5 | 77.5 | 78.1 | 77.4 | 79.3 | 76.8 | 78.7 | 78.3 | 78.6 | 81.0 | 61.1 | 49.3 | 73.4 | 77.0 | 77.0 |
| Number of aircraft (at year end) | 40 | 40 | 39 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 46 | 45 | 37 | 38 | 40 | 45 | ||||||
| Notes/sources | [88][89] | [88][89] | [88][89] | [88][89] | [88][89] | [89][90] [91][92] | [93][94] | [95][96] | [97] | [98] | [99] | [100] | [101] | [102][103] | [104][105] |
Virgin Atlantic aircraft operate with a three-class cabin configuration:Economy, Premium (formerlyPremium Economy),[8] and Upper Class - thebusiness class product. Premium has a separate check-in area, priority boarding and a wider seat with more legroom. Upper Class features a seat that converts into a fully flat bed and access to a private check in area (called the Upper Class Wing at London Heathrow).[106] Virgin Atlantic was the first airline to offer personal entertainment for all passengers in all classes.[107]
The airline'sfrequent-flyer program is styled 'the Flying Club'.[108]
Virgin Atlantic operate fiveairport lounges branded as 'Clubhouses' atLondon Heathrow,John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York,Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.,San Francisco International Airport andO. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.[109]
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British Midland International provided domestic and European feeder traffic into Heathrow Airport in partnership with Virgin[110] until it was purchased by British Airways' parent companyInternational Airlines Group in 2011. TheLufthansa-owned airline had faced heavy annual losses of more than £100 million. Under the terms of the takeover, IAG had to relinquish some former BMI domestic slots at Heathrow. Virgin Atlantic purchased enough slots in 2012 to enable it to launch a domestic service on 31 March 2013, under the Little Red brand, operating a total of 12 daily services from London toAberdeen (three),Edinburgh (six), and Manchester (three).[111] The airlinewet-leased four AirbusAirbus A320-200s fromAer Lingus, operating with Virgin Atlantic livery, under a three-year contract.[112][113]
In September 2014, it was reported that Virgin Atlantic was considering closing its domestic brand after suffering heavy losses,[114] withCivil Aviation Authority figures confirming an average seat occupancy level of just 37.6% in 2013.[36] The 12 daily pairs of take-off and landing slots at Heathrow cannot be sold to be used for long-haul routes.[115]
On 6 October 2014, Virgin Atlantic confirmed that the Little Red service would cease; flights to Manchester ended on 28 March 2015 and flights to Edinburgh and Aberdeen ended on 26 September 2015.[116]
On 13 April 2015, Virgin Atlantic incorporated a new subsidiary – Virgin Atlantic International Limited.[117] In November 2015, the subsidiary obtained its ownAir Operators Certificate and Operating Licence, and commenced operations with two former Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited operatedAirbus A330-300 aircraft taking over routes previously operated by Virgin Atlantic Limited between London Gatwick and Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, Grenada and Tobago.[118] These flights are operated on behalf of Virgin Atlantic.[119]
Upon incorporation as an AOC holder, the majority of Virgin Atlantic's landing slots at London Heathrow Airport were transferred to Virgin Atlantic International Limited, allowing Virgin Atlantic to access the value of the carriers' slots by 'mortgaging' them through open investment from capital markets.[120]
On 11 January 2019, Virgin Atlantic formed theConnect Airways consortium withStobart Aviation and Cyrus Capital, to make a takeover bid forFlybe.[121][122] The deal would see the consortium combine Flybe andStobart Air with Virgin Atlantic to create an integrated carrier operating under the Virgin Atlantic brand.[123] Flybe and Stobart Air would however retain their ownAir Operator Certificates.[124] On 15 January 2019, Connect Airways announced an increased offer, which Flybe's board accepted.[125] On 21 February 2019, the Flybe Group confirmed that its operating assets, including the airline and the website, had indeed been transferred to Connect Airways, despite a last-minute rival bid.[126] However, despite the investment of £135 million from Connect Airways into Flybe, the airline filed for administration and ceased operations with immediate effect in March 2020, following reduced demand that Virgin Atlantic attributed to theCOVID-19 pandemic and the UK government failing to grant a £100 million loan.[127][45]
In September 2022, Virgin Atlantic announced the introduction of two new sets of uniforms, designed byVivienne Westwood, as well as a new policy to embrace the concept ofgender neutrality. She worked closely with Richard Branson to design a uniform comprises a bright redskirt suit andhigh-heeled shoes, and the other aburgundy-colouredtrouser suit with a greywaistcoat, red tie and flat black shoes. Staff will be allowed to choose either uniform, and may also choose to wear a badge indicating theirpreferred pronoun of address. The new uniforms are for crew, pilots and ground staff.[128][129]
At the same time, the company is making changes to its ticketing systems to allow those holding passports which indicate gender-neutrality to be entered as “U” or “X”, as well as offering a new title of address, “Mx”, on their reservations. At this time, not all countries offer this option on passports; those that do include the United States, India, Pakistan,[128] Nepal, Australia, Canada, Argentina, Colombia, Germany, Ireland, and Iceland.[130]
Virgin Atlantic hascodeshare agreements with the following airlines:[131]
Virgin Atlantic hasinterline agreements with the following airlines:[131]
TheA330-300 is an Airbus wide-body airliner. The oldest model in the fleet, the first was delivered in April 2011, with older aircraft due to be retired and replaced by the A330-900 from 2027. Virgin Atlantic operates 7 as of June 2025.[142]
TheA330-900, part of the Airbus A330neo family, is a newer, more fuel efficient version of the original A330. The first was delivered in October 2022,[143] In July 2024, Virgin Atlantic placed an order for an additional 7 aircraft, with deliveries due from 2027.[144]
TheA350-1000 XWB is a wide-body airliner manufactured by Airbus. Virgin Atlantic took delivery of their first A350 in August 2019.[145]
The787-9 Dreamliner is a wide-body airliner produced by Boeing. The only Boeing model in the fleet, Virgin's first Dreamliner was delivered in October 2014. They operate 17 of these aircraft as of June 2025.[146]
Virgin Atlantic's first aircraft were painted with a"Eurowhite" design with a red stripe through the centre of the main deck windows. The engines were metallic silver and the tail red with the logo in white. In the 1990s, the refreshed design was introduced, removing the centre red stripe through the windows, engines were painted red, the Virgin Atlantic titles in grey were added along the main fuselage, and the 'Flying Lady' was introduced to the nose area.[147]
In October 2006, with the delivery of G-VRED, Virgin Atlantic introduced a new design, with the fuselage painted in metallic silver and a revised tail fin, with red and purple features and the logo. Near the nose of each aircraft is apin-up girl, the "Scarlet Lady", carrying a Union flag, which was designed by British artistKen White, who modelled the motif on the World War II pin-ups ofAlberto Vargas – hence the naming one of the fleetVarga Girl (in this case, an A340-600 registered G-VGAS).[89]
Each aircraft has a name, usually feminine, such asLadybird,Island Lady, andRuby Tuesday, but some are linked to registrations (e.g. G-VFIZ becameBubbles). A couple are commemorative names (e.g. G-VEIL—Queen of the Skies—which was named byQueen Elizabeth II on 7 April 2004, marking the centenary of theEntente Cordiale; this frame exited the fleet in April 2016. In January 2023, a new airframe — an Airbus A330-900 registered G-VEII — was christenedQueen of the Skies in honour of the monarch).[148] An exception isSpirit of Sir Freddie. An early Boeing 747, it was named in honour ofFreddie Laker of Laker Airways, who helped Virgin Atlantic following the demise of his own airline. G-VFAB—Lady Penelope—gained a special livery to celebrate Virgin Atlantic's 21st birthday. G-VFAB,Lady Penelope, exited the fleet in September 2015 after 21 years of service and was subsequently parted out.[149] In 2006, the airline ran an eBay auction to name an Airbus A340-600, registered G-VYOU. The winner named itEmmeline Heaney after his newborn daughter, and the name adorned the aircraft for the remainder of its operating service until the aircraft was retired in October 2019.[150] In 2018, a previously stored Airbus A340-600 registered G-VNAP was returned to active use by Virgin Atlantic, and was renamed fromSleeping Beauty toSleeping Beauty Rejuvenated. It additionally received a special "thank you" livery dedicated to its 9,000 employees.[151]
The current livery dates from 2010 and returns to the "Eurowhite" design featuring purple billboard titles on the fuselage, slight changes to the Scarlet Lady, and new red metallic paint for the aircraft's tail and engines. On aircraft that have winglets, the wingtips are red, with the logo on the inside facing passengers on board. The Virgin Atlantic logo was also added in purple billboard titles to the underside of the aircraft.[152]
In anticipation of theAirbus A350-1000's introduction to the airline's fleet, Virgin Atlantic announced in April 2019 that its Flying Lady mascot to be adorned on the A350's nose would be replaced by illustrations referred to asFlying Icons, consisting of a range of five individual characters in an effort to represent modern Britain.[153] Each of the characters, separately named Daley, Meera, Oscar, Ray, and Zadie, were styled and posed with Union flags similarly to the Flying Lady. Originally portraying the characters inleotards, the illustrations were later revised by designer Toby Tinsley to instead portray the characters wearing more clothing and revealing less skin, prior to their application on Virgin Atlantic's first A350.[154][155] Meera, one of the first five characters, was also at some point changed to or replaced by Mei, a new character portraying a Chinese woman. Reasons for the changes or revisions were not provided by Virgin Atlantic or anyone involved in the branding. At least one additional Flying Icon was unveiled to complement the initial five, including an icon portraying an Indian woman, named Aria.[156]
Virgin Atlantic is considered to have a strong safety reputation. Since the airline's founding in 1984, it has never suffered a complete hull-loss incident or a passenger fatality.[157]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Registered office: The VHQ, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9DF
Media related toVirgin Atlantic at Wikimedia Commons
