Virgin Atlantic
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Manchester
Posts: 857
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Peripatetic
Posts: 10,982
Virgin Atlantic to cease operations out of Gatwick and cut one third of staff, 3150 in total.
Gatwick slots to be retained pending the future. At least some of 747 fleet to be retired.
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...vival-11983452
Gatwick slots to be retained pending the future. At least some of 747 fleet to be retired.
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...vival-11983452
Last edited by ORAC; 5th May 2020 at 13:56.
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW England
Posts: 148
Thoughts are with all the staff potentially affected by here. The end of LGW ops would be the end of an era given VS have had a presence there from day one and ditto with EWR when that was scrapped recently.
I reckon Virgin Holidays will continue providing the airline continues. They've been in growth mode in recent years opening shops all over the place, as well as being one of the largest tour operators in the UK for long-haul.
Originally Posted by wesleyscott
be interesting to see what they do with Virgin Holidays.
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: East London
Age: 38
Posts: 225
You’d have to assume there are more than enough slots available in the next 2-3 years for the entire LGW operation to be moved across without slashing any of it. Reduced frequency on existing VS + DL services and probably a few across the wider Skyteam portfolio
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Notts & Derbyshire border
Posts: 464
Originally Posted by harer92
What was the fleet breakdown at LGW?
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Age: 39
Posts: 677
Originally Posted by Skipness One Foxtrot
Brian, retrenching to LHR means operating the Beach Fleet from there. LGW was 3-5 flights per day in summer and with traffic collapsing, they could operate the portfolio from LHR and move back to LGW if and when traffic bounces back that they really need the slots. It doesn’t mean closing all LGW routes, it means serving London from one airport.
Virgin Holidays don't operate their own flights per se, they sell seats onboard Virgin's scheduled services.
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 433
They could lease out their slots to another operator in the short term, either at a charge or for free if they simply want to keep hold of them.
That said, if BA, DY and VS were all seeking to do this, it remains to be seen what appetite and how successful it might prove.
That said, if BA, DY and VS were all seeking to do this, it remains to be seen what appetite and how successful it might prove.
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 110
Originally Posted by SWBKCB
So how does that work if they aren't flying from Gatwick?
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Wales
Posts: 1,226
Originally Posted by Sharklet_321
Nobody seems to be mentioning Manchester, what does this mean for them?
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: EGGW
Posts: 2,069
Virgin Holidays is going to be renamed Virgin Atlantic Holidays and close 15% of there retail stores.
They have not stated they are withdrawing all the B747 fleet as some posts have reported.
They have stated as follows, It will no longer use all of its seven 747s, with four A330s retiring in early 2022 as planned.
The way l read it, they are not going to use all seven, but an unknown number for a period of time.
They have not stated they are withdrawing all the B747 fleet as some posts have reported.
They have stated as follows, It will no longer use all of its seven 747s, with four A330s retiring in early 2022 as planned.
The way l read it, they are not going to use all seven, but an unknown number for a period of time.
