Virgin Atlantic has confirmed it will commence flights between London Heathrow and São Paulo, Brazil in 2020. Flying daily between London Heathrow and São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport, the 11 hr 55 min flight is Virgin Atlantic’s first foray into the South American continent.
The airline will operate a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft boasting Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class, Premium and Economy Delight, Classic and Light offerings.
The new service aims to capitalise on the fast-growing Brazilian economy, which benefits from year-round transatlantic demand.
The booming tourism industry complements the lucrative business market, and Virgin Holidays intends to launch a full product offering within Brazil for the first time.
Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic Executive Vice President – Commercial, commented: “2019 marks the start of a new phase of growth for Virgin Atlantic as we work to become the most loved travel company. São Paulo represents an incredible opportunity for our business, and we’re very excited to be flying to a brand-new continent for the first time.”
Virgin Atlantic has embarked on an ambitious growth plan. In 2019, Virgin Atlantic will welcome the first four of 12 Airbus A350-1000 to its fleet, which not only boasts a totally redesigned onboard experience for customers but will also help transform the fleet into one of the quietest and most fuel-efficient in the sky.
The airline also looks forward to becoming the founding member of a new, $13 billion transatlantic joint venture with over 300 daily transatlantic flights and 96 non-stop transatlantic routes alongside Delta, Air France and KLM. It is also launching new services from London Heathrow to Las Vegas, Manchester to Los Angeles and London Heathrow to Tel Aviv.