Virgin Atlantic will increase its cargo-only flights by 35% to nearly 600 in June with the launch of new routes including Beijing and Brussels following the success of its May program. June will see a total of 601 flights – 597 cargo-only services and 4 repatriation flights for the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO)
Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, said: “I want to personally thank all of our cargo customers who have supported our cargo-only flying. We’re proud to be increasing the number of frequencies and routes we can offer in June as international trade steps us its recovery and lockdowns are eased around the world. While the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to restrict passenger flying, our cargo operation has never been more important both to our business and in keeping vital global supply chains running.”
In May, Virgin Atlantic operated 446 cargo-only flights, including 66 charters for customers, averaging 52 weekly departures from the UK. The airline carried 4.4 million kilos of cargo into the UK and 5.3 million kilos of exports, producing the highest monthly cargo revenues in the airline’s 36-year history.
Dominic Kennedy, Managing Director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo, added: “May was an historic month for our cargo business, which is a quite remarkable achievement given the current trading environment. As well as demonstrating our customers’ confidence in Virgin Atlantic, this is a tribute to everyone in the airline who remains so committed to maintaining our customer offering despite the uncertainties which persist in the market. June will see this offering grow again and we are hoping for similar customer support now we have proven the resilience of our cargo-only flying program.”
