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Virgin Atlantic fleet

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Virgin Atlantic operates a fleet consisting exclusively of wide-body twinjet aircraft from both Airbus and Boeing.

Current fleet

[edit]

As of October 2024, Virgin Atlantic operates an all-wide-body fleet composed of the following aircraft:[1][2]

Virgin Atlantic fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
J W Y Total Refs
Airbus A330-300 8 — 31 48 185 264 [3] Gradual retirement to start in September 2024.
To be replaced by the Airbus A330-900[4]
Airbus A330-900 7 12 32 46 184 262 [5] To replace Airbus A330-300.[4]
Additional order of 7 in July 2024.[6]
Airbus A350-1000 12 — 44 56 235 335 [7]
16 56 325 397 [8]
Boeing 787-9 17 — 31 35 192 258 [9]
Total 44 12
[edit]
Airbus A330-300
Airbus A330-900
Airbus A350-1000
Boeing 787-9

Historical fleet

[edit]
Virgin Atlantic historical fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes Ref
Airbus A320-200 2 1995 2000 1 leased for a London to Athens service; replaced by an A321-200 in 2000. [10]
4 2013 2015 Leased from Aer Lingus for Little Red services. [11][12]
Airbus A321-200 1 2000 2001 Named Hellenic Beauty leased for a London to Athens service to replace an A320-200. [10][13]
Airbus A330-200 4 2018 2022 All four were refurbished former Air Berlin aircraft.
Withdrawn from service early due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, exited the fleet in 2022. 		[14]
Airbus A340-300 10 1993 2015 Last commercial flight in April 2015. [15]
Airbus A340-600 20 2002 2020 Launch customer.
Includes G-VATL, the third prototype.
G-VNAP in 'Thank You' livery.
Early retirement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last commercial flight 8 March 2020. 		[16]
Boeing 747-100 1 1990 2000 Originally Miami Maiden, then renamed Spirit of Sir Freddie. [17]
Boeing 747-200B 14 1984 2005 G-VIRG was Virgin Atlantic's first aircraft. [17]
Boeing 747-400 13 1994 2020 Early retirement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last commercial flight 31 March 2020. [18][17]
Boeing 767-300ER 1 1996 1997 Wet leased from Martinair. [citation needed]

Fleet development

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Throughout the airline's history, Virgin Atlantic has operated a mix of widebody aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, as well as a limited number of narrowbody Airbus aircraft. Initially launching with a fleet of Boeing 747-200 aircraft in 1984, the airline's fleet continued to be composed entirely of four-engined widebody aircraft with the incorporation of a single Boeing 747-100 in 1990, the Airbus A340-300 in 1993, and the larger Boeing 747-400 in 1994. Between 1995 and 2000, the airline began operating the twin-engined Airbus A320 family and Boeing 767. In August 2002, Virgin Atlantic became the first airline to operate the larger Airbus A340-600 variant of the A340.[19] By 2005, the airline retired its Boeing 747-100 and 747-200 aircraft, retaining the 747-400s.

On 27 September 2006, Richard Branson announced plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by cutting aircraft weight and fuel consumption. There was also an experiment in 2007 in partnership with Boeing to have aircraft towed to the runway to save fuel, as a potential change to future operational procedures.[20] Virgin Atlantic also volunteered a Boeing 747 for a test of biofuels in February 2008. The aircraft flew without passengers from Heathrow to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, with 20% of the power for one engine provided by plant-based biofuel. Virgin Atlantic said that it expected to use algae-based biofuels in the future.[21]

On 24 April 2007, Virgin Atlantic announced it had ordered the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, for a total of 15 Boeing 787-9s, with options on eight more.[22] The exercised options, later making for a total fleet of 17 Boeing 787-9s, were planned replace the Heathrow-based 747 fleet during 2015 and 2016. The 787s were due to be delivered in 2011, but by 2008 were expected to be delayed to at least 2013.[23] The following year on 22 June 2009, the airline announced an order for ten Airbus A330-300s, which would enter service initially in 2011, ahead of its delayed Boeing 787s.[24] The announcement of the orders and subsequent induction of the two aircraft types notably ended the airline's four-engined aircraft fleet composition, as the airline previously marketed itself with the "4 engines 4 long haul" slogan. While its first two Airbus A330-300s would operate on leisure-oriented routes following delivery in 2011,[25] Virgin Atlantic would begin operating A330s on its premium routes from Heathrow in April 2012.[26] Virgin Atlantic had also ordered six Airbus A380-800 aircraft, with options on a further six, delivery initially due in 2006, but the deliveries repeatedly deferred. The A380 order was officially cancelled in March 2018, with deposits transferred to A330 and A350 aircraft orders.[27]

In March 2013, Virgin Atlantic resumed operations of narrowbody Airbus A320 family aircraft, with four Airbus A320-200s wet-leased from Aer Lingus to operate short-haul, domestic services from its Heathrow hub.[11] The services were operated by Virgin Atlantic Little Red, a new subsidiary airline founded for the operation of the services. Due to low passenger numbers and significant financial losses, Virgin Atlantic Little Red's services were discontinued by September 2015, and Virgin Atlantic returned to wholly widebody aircraft operations.[12]

Virgin Atlantic took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 in October 2014, becoming the first European airline to fly the variant.[28] The older Airbus A340-300 aircraft were withdrawn from service in April 2015, as rising costs had made it less economical to run the type. Virgin Atlantic had begun to replace the A340-300 on routes with the two-engine A330-300 and 787-9. The final Virgin Atlantic A340-300 flight was made on 9 April, landing at Heathrow early on 10 April.[29] Eight of the larger Airbus A340-600s remained in service.

Branson announced in March 2016 that The Spaceship Company would partner with Boom Technology to develop supersonic jets capable of travelling between London and New York in three and a half hours. He confirmed that Virgin Atlantic had options on 10 of the aircraft.[30][31]

In July 2016, Virgin Atlantic announced an order for 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, to eventually replace the ageing four-engined Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-600 fleets. The order consists of eight aircraft which will be purchased directly from Airbus, with a further four acquired through leasing companies. The 12 A350-1000s on order were split into two separate configurations, consisting of a business-oriented, premium-heavy configuration, and a leisure-oriented, economy-heavy configuration for select routes to the Caribbean, Las Vegas, and Orlando, Florida. This order would leave Virgin Atlantic with a streamlined fleet of Airbus A330s, A350s and Boeing 787 aircraft, leaving just two pilot pools and increasing cost efficiencies.[32][33] The A350s feature three classes – Economy (in a 3–3–3 layout), Premium (2–4–2) and Upper Class (1–2–1) – and its business-oriented configuration features a bar area known as The Loft, which was first introduced on the London to New York route in summer 2019.[34][35] Its leisure-oriented A350 configuration was announced to feature a special area called The Booth, and was planned for launch on its London to Orlando route in December 2021,[36] but subsequently launched between London and Lagos instead.

Due to engine fan-blade corrosion issues with the fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft, Virgin Atlantic chose to move some of its Manchester-based Boeing 747 and Airbus A330 aircraft to cover routes out of London Heathrow, with the airline temporarily parking some of its 787s while they wait for attention. In 2016, a spokesperson for Rolls-Royce, the manufacturer of the Trent 1000s, said the company "would start producing new corrosion-resistant fan blades by the start of 2017". In place of these aircraft, Virgin Atlantic leased four former Air Berlin A330-200 aircraft, which were announced to be based in Manchester. The A330-200 aircraft arrived in 2018, with full Virgin Atlantic liveries, but with former Air Berlin cabin products, with Virgin Atlantic's Premium Economy to be retrofitted at a later date. Virgin Atlantic said it would add "resilience" to its fleet after the engine issues with its 787s. It was thought these aircraft would be on initial 12-month leases, allowing them to assess their viability in the fleet, with the possibility of extending the leases further.[37] The airline also chose to reinstate a former A340-600 aircraft G-VNAP into the fleet from storage, after purchase from its lessor, to cover for one A340 aircraft leaving the fleet, for which the lease was unable to be extended.[38] The A330-200s began to leave the fleet in late 2021, with the final A330-200 leaving the fleet in March 2022.

On 17 June 2019, Virgin Atlantic announced an order for fourteen Airbus A330-900s, with options for an additional six aircraft, and delivery expected in September 2021.[4] In July 2019, Virgin Atlantic initially announced the retirement of its remaining Airbus A340-600s by November 2019, however in September 2019 had extended the A340-600's service to December 2019, while the airline's Boeing 787 aircraft undergo further repairs on their Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.[39][40] The retirement date for the A340-600 was subsequently postponed after several changes in date to May 2020, before the type was ultimately retired early on 9 March 2020, with the final scheduled A340-600 service taking place the day prior from Lagos to London Heathrow.[41][42][43][16]

The carrier took delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000 aircraft in August 2019.[44] Though the A350s were intended to gradually replace its fleet of Boeing 747s over time, Virgin Atlantic announced the early retirement of its seven remaining Boeing 747-400 aircraft on 5 May 2020 as an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant loss in travel demand.[18] The airline had additionally deferred deliveries of its Airbus A330-900s to 2022, as well as its remaining Airbus A350-1000s until later in 2021.[45] In December 2020, Virgin Atlantic sold and leased back two of their latest Boeing 787-9 aircraft to fund the repayment of a loan from Griffin Global Asset Management and to raise up to £70 million ($93 million) worth of funds.[citation needed] In December 2021, the airline leased two additional Airbus A350-1000s with deliveries in 2023 and 2024, increasing its total order to 14 A350s.[46]

On 11 July 2022, Virgin Atlantic announced further details of its incoming Airbus A330-900 fleet, including its seating configuration, that it planned to receive up to sixteen of the type, indicating that two additional planes were ordered and that the first A330-900 would arrive during September 2022, with the aircraft launching on its London to Boston route during October 2022.[47]

References

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  1. ^ "Aircraft register (G-INFO)". Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom). Retrieved 3 September 2021. Click Advanced Search and fill in registered owner as Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd
  2. ^ "Our fleet". Virgin Atlantic. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  3. ^ "Meet our Airbus A330-300". Virgin Atlantic. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Kaminski-Morrow, David (17 June 2019). "PARIS: Virgin Atlantic signs for up to 20 A330-900s". FlightGlobal. DVV Media Group.
  5. ^ "Meet our Airbus A330neo". Virgin Atlantic. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  6. ^ "UK's Virgin Atlantic orders seven A330-900s". ch-aviation.com. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Meet our Airbus A350-1000". Virgin Atlantic. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  8. ^ "All about The Booth. Our unique social space for leisure customers". Virgin Atlantic. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Meet our Boeing 787-9". Virgin Atlantic. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Marketplace". Flight International: 8. 11 April 2000.
  11. ^ a b "Virgin to compete with BA's Scotland to Heathrow links". BBC News. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  12. ^ a b "Virgin Atlantic terminates Little Red operations outright". ch-aviation. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Virgin Atlantic upgrades Athens service with introduction of A321". Flight International: 12. 6 June 2000.
  14. ^ "UK's Virgin Atlantic retires last A330-200". ch-aviation. 23 May 2022.
  15. ^ ifn.news - Virgin Atlantic retires Airbus A340 earlier than planned 10 March 2020
  16. ^ a b Griffin, Matt (10 March 2020). "Virgin Atlantic retires Airbus A340 earlier than planned". International Flight Network. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  17. ^ a b c flywith.virginatlantic.com - A fond farewell to the Boeing 747 retrieved 25 November 2022
  18. ^ a b "Our post-Covid19 future" (Press release). Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Virgin Atlantic's A340-600 – the Longest Plane in the World – Takes its First Commercial Flight". Pressreleasenetwork.com. 5 August 2002. Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  20. ^ "Virgin Atlantic Makes Europe's Largest Single Order For Fuel-Efficient Boeing 787 Dreamlines" (Press release). Virgin Atlantic. 24 April 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  21. ^ "First biofuel flight touches down". BBC News. 24 February 2008. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
  22. ^ "Boeing and Virgin Atlantic Announce 787 Order, Environmental Partnership". Boeing (Press release). 24 April 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  23. ^ Schuffam, Matthew (11 December 2008). "UPDATE 1-Virgin seeks clarity, compensation over 787 delays". Reuters. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  24. ^ Kaminski-Morrow, David (22 June 2009). "Virgin Atlantic orders 10 A330s". FlightGlobal. DVV Media Group. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Virgin Atlantic becomes twin jet operator with the Airbus A330". Airbus (Press release). 5 April 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  26. ^ Maslen, Richard (11 April 2012). "Virgin Atlantic Prepares to Debut A330-300". Routesonline. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  27. ^ Kaminski-Morrow, David (7 March 2018). "Virgin cancels long-dormant A380 order". FlightGlobal. DVV Media Group.
  28. ^ Zhang, Benjamin (29 October 2014). "Check Out The New Boeing Dreamliner Richard Branson Just Launched with a Gospel Choir". Business Insider. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  29. ^ "Introducing our brand new Airbus A330". Virgin Atlantic. 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  30. ^ Neate, Rupert (23 March 2016). "Supersonic jet startup vows 'affordable' travel – if you have $5,000 to spare". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  31. ^ Rivers, Martin (5 December 2017). "Supersonic Passenger Jet 'Boom' Attracts Investment From Japan Airlines". Forbes. Virgin Atlantic Airways is the only other known customer. It has pre-ordered 10 aircraft and plans to deploy them on transatlantic routes.
  32. ^ Mutzabaugh, Ben (13 July 2016). "Virgin Atlantic buys Airbus A350 to be its 'future flagship'". USA Today. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  33. ^ Clarkson, Natalie (12 July 2016). "Virgin Atlantic announces order for new Airbus 350-1000". Virgin. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  34. ^ Phelan, David (10 April 2019). "Virgin Atlantic Reveals Stunning New Design For Its Airbus A350 Fleet". Forbes.
  35. ^ Gunner, Dave (1 October 2019). "The Airbus A350: Designed with love, built for the future". Virgin Atlantic. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  36. ^ Caswell, Mark (2 September 2021). "Virgin Atlantic unveils reconfigured A350 for leisure markets". Business Traveller. Panacea Media Limited. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  37. ^ "VS to lease 4 A332's to cover 789 downtime – Page 2 – Airliners.net". www.airliners.net. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  38. ^ "Production List Search". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  39. ^ "Virgin Atlantic to end A340 ops in early 4Q19". ch-aviation. ch-aviation GmbH. 26 July 2019.
  40. ^ "Virgin delays A340 retirement after Norwegian incident". ch-aviation. ch-aviation GmbH. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  41. ^ Liu, Jim (4 November 2019). "Virgin Atlantic further modifies A340-600 service in Jan 2020". Routesonline. Informa Markets. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  42. ^ "UK's Virgin Atlantic to retain A340-600s into 2020". ch-aviation. ch-aviation GmbH. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  43. ^ Liu, Jim (17 February 2020). "Virgin Atlantic S20 A340-600 operation changes as of 15FEB20". Routesonline. Informa Markets. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  44. ^ Matt Griffin (10 August 2019). "Virgin Atlantic receives first Airbus A350". International Flight Network. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  45. ^ Schuurman, Richard (14 July 2020). "Virgin Atlantic gets "The Plan" done, but defers A330neo's and A350s". AirInsight. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  46. ^ "Air Lease Corporation Announces Lease Placement of Two New Airbus A350-1000 Aircraft with Virgin Atlantic" (Press release). Business Wire. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  47. ^ Harper, Lewis (13 July 2022). "Virgin Atlantic unveils A330neo cabin and names Boston as route for October debut". FlightGlobal. DVV Media Group. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
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