Virgin Atlantic Cargo to ramp up freight flights
18 / 01 / 2021
Virgin Atlantic is planning to ramp up its all-cargo operations as demand continues to increase.
The airline said that it plans to increase its cargo-only operations by 60% in January, adding an extra 12 rotations per week and bringing its weekly total to 33.
The cargo-only flying includes daily flights between London and Brussels, offering same day European connections for customers, which the carrier hopes will prove important should Brexit related border hold ups occur.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo managing director Dominic Kennedy said: “The growth in our cargo-only flying this January demonstrates the agility and flexibility of our teams in order to maintain a resilient cargo operation in such dynamic market conditions.
“Despite a decrease in passengers travelling, demand to transport cargo remains strong and we’re delighted to play our part transporting a whole range of goods across the world, keeping vital global supply chains moving.
“We’re thankful for the support of our customers throughout an unprecedented 2020 and want to emphasise we are once again here with a broad cargo destination portfolio and charter capability to support 2021 demand.”
Dedicated cargo-only operations fly to Antigua, Brussels, Chicago, Delhi, Dublin, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Miami, Mumbai, San Juan in Puerto Rico and Shanghai. It also offers charter services.
The increase in scheduled operations comes as Virgin Atlantic Cargo celebrates a record-breaking year in 2020, with revenues up by around 50%. Last year, the cargo business operated 4,000 cargo only flights.
The airline also continues to transport cargo on its scheduled passenger services to destinations including Atlanta, Barbados, Boston, New York JFK, Lagos, Islamabad, Lahore, Los Angeles, Miami and Tel Aviv.
