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Delta, Virgin Atlantic expand network capacity on U.S., UK routes

By Chika Goodluck-Ogazi
03 June 2016   |   1:01 am
Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic have announced changes to their respective summer 2017 schedules to optimize their joint network between the United States and the United Kingdom.
Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic

Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic have announced changes to their respective summer 2017 schedules to optimize their joint network between the United States and the United Kingdom.

The move reflects the strong partnership between the two airlines, which is focused on offering customers more travel choices and flexibility.
A new four times a week Portland, Oregon to London Heathrow seasonal service will begin on May 26, 2017, the first between this U.S. West Coast city and London stated Delta airline.

Beginning March 26, 2017, the airline will add a second Detroit to London Heathrow service. This new flight replaces Virgin Atlantic’s daily Detroit to London Heathrow service.

The Executive Vice President, Commercial, Virgin Atlantic, Erik Varwijk said: “We are delighted to further optimize our joint services between the U.K. and the U.S. Our most fuel efficient Boeing 787-9 aircraft will add additional capacity to the successful Seattle route, enabling more customers to enjoy the Virgin Atlantic experience on this brand new aircraft”.

“In Manchester, deploying our Airbus A330-300 aircraft on this route will allow us to further meet the growing demand from the Manchester market, now offering a total of six direct flights to the U.S. after the recently announced new services to Boston and San Francisco. The network changes highlight the strength and flexibility of our joint venture, allowing us to make smart decisions that ensure the right aircraft are on the right routes for our customers.”

Commenting on the changes, the Senior Vice President Trans-Atlantic, Delta Airlines, Dwight James said: “Adding a brand new service to Portland while increasing the scale of Delta’s reach across our Atlanta and Detroit hubs provides a comprehensive network of nonstop and connecting destinations for both Delta and Virgin customers.

“The flexibility to adjust our operations on routes between the U.K. and the U.S. is a solid reflection of the cohesive strategy we have across the trans-Atlantic. Since 2014, we have been building a partnership that is centered around the needs of our customers while providing network synergies for our airlines”, he added.

Beginning March 26, 2017, the airlines’ joint summer 2017 schedule includes a total of 42 peak daily nonstop flights between the U.S. and the U.K. Of these, 28 flights will operate between London Heathrow and popular U.S. destinations such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta and Washington and 14 flights will operate between Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, London Gatwick and Edinburgh to popular U.S. cities.

The joint venture partnership between Delta and Virgin Atlantic continues to grow, allowing both airlines’ customers to benefit from a high-quality and complementary travel experience with customer service being a key priority. In 2015, the JV connected almost 400,000 customers to over 200 destinations in the U.S., on over 550 routes.

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