Virgin Atlantic reaffirms commitment to India with new services  to Bengaluru and Mumbai  

Virgin Atlantic signals its continued commitment to India this week as its new daily  service to Bengaluru touched down and the airline also announced a second daily  flight to Mumbai taking to the skies in October 2024.  

The new flight to Mumbai will be the airline’s fifth daily service to India and from 2025,  Virgin Atlantic will offer over one million seats to the country, a 350% capacity growth  since 2019, cementing India’s position as a key strategic market for the airline and  marking its largest area of growth outside the United States. Alongside customer  flying, the increase is also a huge boost for cargo operations with additional capacity  to support the movement of goods from the fashion, pharmaceuticals, and tech  sectors. With five daily services, Virgin Atlantic Cargo will offer over 40 million kg of  space to and from India, a 336% increase in capacity versus 2019.

To celebrate the new services, Virgin Atlantic CEO, Shai Weiss touched down in  Bengaluru meeting with partners and customers while experiencing the bustling city  for himself. Shai joined British Deputy High Commissioner, Chandru Iyer, in  autorickshaws as they visited some of the iconic sites in the city, with the airline’s  award-winning cabin crew handing out some of Virgin Atlantic’s signature onboard  treats such as- ice lollies and Mile High afternoon tea.

The new services will operate on the airline’s state of the art aircraft, 787-9 Dreamliner  offering customers the option of Upper Class, Premium, and Economy Delight, Classic  and Light as well as the airline’s signature Upper Class social space. It will also offer  seamless connectivity and a premium long-haul experience for those customers  connecting via London Heathrow to and from destinations throughout North  America including Seattle, San Francisco, and New York JFK, with Virgin Atlantic and  transatlantic joint venture partner, Delta Air Lines.

In addition to offering direct services to Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, Virgin Atlantic  has a strategic partnership with IndiGo, India’s largest airline. Customers can book  one ticket which allows them to connect seamlessly from other destinations in India  such as Ahmedabad, Goa and Hyderabad onto London Heathrow. In total the  partnership offers 36 additional destinations and has so far connected over 80,000  customers since the launch in September 2022.

Virgin Atlantic is also pleased to quadruple the number of Indian based cabin crew  this summer. Through GSA partner InterGlobe Air Transport, the airline will now  average four Indian cabin crew on each flight in order to deliver a more personalised  service to our Indian customers.

Shai Weiss, CEO, Virgin Atlantic commented: “I am thrilled to be here in Bengaluru, celebrating not one but two new Virgin Atlantic services. There is a huge opportunity  for us in India, it has a dynamic, fast-growing economy and we’re anticipating huge  growth in demand for international travel from the region. We know both our  customers and people love travelling here and we have a rich history in India. Next  year marks 25 years of operations and with our new daily service to Bengaluru and  second daily service to Mumbai, it will be the first time that we’ll offer more than one  million seats from London Heathrow. These new flights reaffirm our commitment to  the country, allowing our customers to travel seamlessly throughout India and  beyond, flying on one of the youngest fleets in the skies, with our signature service,  delivered by our amazing people.”

Chandru Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka & Kerala and HM Deputy  Trade Commissioner – South Asia (Investment) commented: “I couldn’t be prouder to  welcome another great British brand to the city of Bengaluru. Virgin Atlantic will  continue to be a key player in strengthening our living bridge between the UK and  India. With the growing number of Indian business travellers, tourists, and students to  the UK, the addition of Virgin Atlantic to the existing air travel options would be of  tremendous benefit to the entire southern region of India, and we at the British Deputy  High Commission Bengaluru warmly welcome Virgin Atlantic.”

Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Operating Officer of Bangalore International Airport Ltd said:  “We are excited to welcome Virgin Atlantic’s new daily service from London Heathrow  to Bengaluru. This marks a significant milestone for BLR Airport as we continue to  enhance our international connectivity. The introduction of these new flights opens  up a world of opportunities for travel, trade, and cultural exchange. Additionally,  these flights provide enhanced travel options for passengers from South and Central  India connecting to key destinations worldwide. At BLR Airport, we remain steadfast  in our commitment to increasing our non-stop connectivity to key global centres and  delivering a seamless experience for all passengers travelling through our airport.”

New service to Bengaluru

New flight to Mumbai (subject to Government approval) 

Existing India schedule