Over the past 48 hours, aviation has seen several critical moments in history, each a reminder that the industry has taken a dramatic turn in a new direction in just a few years. Two days ago, the first of these historic moments came when the final Boeing 747 was delivered to Atlas Air. Another came this morning when British Airways and Virgin Atlantic announced that they would restart services to mainland China following a three-year absence.

While the end of a modern marvel's production may seem significantly more important than a few routes reopening, the return of these services marks a critical point in the industry's recovery from the pandemic. The global shutdown's influence was so severe that many wondered if airlines would survive, particularly long-haul operators like Virgin.

But the disaster has passed, and even China, the country with the strictest lockdowns in the world, has slowly relaxed its rules. On February 2nd, two of the world's largest international air carriers can proudly announce that they are reopening air transit services to the world's most populated country.

Turning point of the decade

After only three years, the 2020-2030 decade has already proven to be one of the rockiest the aviation industry has ever encountered. Despite adversity, airlines, airports, and supporting companies have shown resiliency as they have adapted and endured the turbulence of the past few years. Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have managed to adapt and survive the difficult times. Due to these actions, they have proudly announced that they will be restarting services to China.

British Airways Boeing 787
Photo: British Airways

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Returning services

Virgin Atlantic will reopen its one route from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) on May 1st. The airline will once again operate a once-daily flight service for passenger and cargo operations with a Boeing 787-9.

Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

This marks a historic moment for the airline as, after 859 days of closure, the airline will finally reopen its last route that closed due to the pandemic. It will also allow it to reconnect its air transit services to an important market as it will transport freight from China to the UK again.

Click here for flights from London to Shanghai.

Roughly one week before Virgin Atlantic relaunches flights to China, British Airways will reopen its LHR-PVG route on April 23rd. The route will be operated once daily. Early this summer, on June 3rd, the airline plans to relaunch its LHR to Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) services. It will serve this route four times per week.

The Head of Sales for the Asia-Pacific region for British Airways, Noella Ferns, shared the following concerning the PKX and PVG route reopenings,

"We can't wait to welcome our customers back on board our flights from Shanghai and Beijing. We know they've been looking forward to reuniting with family and friends, coming to study in the UK and resuming business between China and the UK. We have an incredibly rich history of flying to mainland China, having connected the two countries for more than 40 years. We look forward to resuming these routes again."

What do you think of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic reopening flight services to mainland China? Let us know in the comments below.

  • British Airways, Cabin Crew Training, Customer Service
    British Airways
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    BA/BAW
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport
    Year Founded:
    1974
    Alliance:
    oneworld
    Airline Group:
    IAG
    CEO:
    Sean Doyle
    Country:
    United Kingdom
  • Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1041 (2)
    Virgin Atlantic
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    VS/VIR
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    London Heathrow Airport
    Year Founded:
    1984
    CEO:
    Shai Weiss
    Country:
    United Kingdom
  • heathrow_17581988126223
    London Heathrow Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    LHR-EGLL
    Country:
    United Kingdom
    CEO:
    John Holland-Kaye
    Passenger Count :
    19,392,178 (2021)
    Runways :
    09L/27R - 3,902m (12,802ft) | 09R/27L - 3,660m (12,008ft)
    Terminals:
    Terminal 2 | Terminal 3 | Terminal 4 | Terminal 5
  • Beijing Daxing International Airport Xiamen Air Boeing 787-9
    Beijing Daxing Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    PKX/ZBAD
    Country:
    China
    CEO:
    Wang Jiadong
    Passenger Count :
    25,051,012 (2021)
    Runways :
    01L/19R - 3,400m (11,155ft) | 17L/35R - 3,800m (12,467ft) | 17R/35L - 3,800m (12,467ft) | 11L/29R - 3,800m (12,467ft)
  • C919
    Shanghai Pudong International Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    PVG/ZSPD
    Country:
    China
    CEO:
    Shu Jun Shen
    Passenger Count :
    30,476,531 (2020)
    Runways :
    17L/35R - 4,000m (13,123ft) | 16R/34L - 3,800m (12,467ft) | 17R/35L - 3,400m (11,155ft) | 16L/34R - 3,800m (12,467ft) | 15/33 - 3,400m (11,155ft)
    Terminals:
    Terminal 1 | Terminal 2