• 

  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

Starting November 5, Virgin Atlantic will be resuming its long-awaited London Heathrow to Cape Town service. The seasonal winter flights will run through until March 24, complementing the carrier’s existing year-round Johannesburg route.

Virgin’s return

“We’re incredibly excited to return to the fabulous city of Cape Town with daily services from November,” commented Juha Jarvinen, Virgin’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Although a little later than we’d have liked due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the move reflects the fact that travel is recovering and global demand for holidays to sunny, premium destinations is returning at pace.”

In April 2015, Virgin scrapped direct flights between London and Cape Town after 16 years of service following a review of the carrier’s network. With the subsequent collapse of Thomas Cook Airlines in 2019, the carrier stepped in to fill capacity, announcing in February 2020 that it would relaunch the route later that year. However, circumstances had other plans, with the flights indefinitely shelved through the pandemic.

Since the removal of South Africa from the UK’s red list in December, the carrier has seen demand creep back up from British holidaymakers seeking an exciting and beautiful destination to jet off after two years of lockdowns.

“We’re expecting a high proportion of leisure travellers on this route who will rightly be taking advantage of the winter sun, exploring the world-renowned wine regions and soaking up the rich culture this incredible country has to offer,” added Jarvinen.

VS478 from London Heathrow to Cape Town will depart at 16:00, arriving at 6:00 the following morning. The return service, VS489 will depart Cape Town at 07:50, arriving back at London Heathrow at 17:45.

The daily flights will be operated using the carrier’s efficient, long-haul Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Fares start from £711 for an Economy return, with Premium and Upper Class starting at £1318 and £3454 respectively.

South African tourism

The return of Virgin Atlantic will likely be a big boost for Cape Town’s tourism industry, which is set to see further growth following plans from two US legacy carriers, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, currently in competition to operate the “South African” triangle route, connecting Johannesburg and Cape Town to Washington DC (United) or Atlanta (Delta).

United filed a new application with the US Department of Transport earlier this week to operate three-weekly non-stop flights between Washington DC and Cape Town starting November 17. Delta has had the route in the works for a while, having filed with DOT in February to launch a similar three-weekly service from Atlanta to Cape Town, also slated for a mid-November start date if approved.

While only several months out of restrictions, Cape Town International Airport has seen a significant bounce-back. In early May, airport officials noted that it was operating at 76% of its pre-pandemic capacity, with strong demand from international tourists.

As such, the region’s tourist board has been preparing for an influx of British visitors for its summer season. In 2019, over 430,000 UK holidaymakers visited South Africa, accounting for around 30% of all European arrivals.

Research by Business Insider South Africa uncovered that during the 2019 busy season, British tourists pumped R790 million (roughly $51 million) each month, with pandemic restrictions having cost the South African economy over R2.4 billion ($152.9 million).

The industry is already seeing the beginning signs of recovery, reflected in passenger numbers at Cape Town airport. It is set to be a busy year for the airport and hopefully a successful one for the surrounding region’s tourist industry.

Will you be flying to Cape Town with Virgin this summer? Let us know in the comments section.

Source: Business Insider South Africa