/Virgin plans more flights and new destination from Manchester Airport

VIRGIN Atlantic is planning a massive boost on flights from Manchester to the States.

The airline has announced that it is increasing the number of flights by around 20 per cent next year.

It includes the arrival of a new direct service to Los Angeles and double the number of flights to Las Vegas.

There will also be an increase to three flights a week to Boston.

It will be the airline’s biggest ever year flying from the city with up to six daily departures.

The new route to Los Angeles, coupled with an increase in services to both Boston and Las Vegas, means Virgin Atlantic will be offering customers up to 14,000 seats a week directly from Manchester to the USA and Caribbean.

A number of routes, including both New York and Atlanta, will be flown on the Boeing 747, the largest in Virgin Atlantic’s fleet.

Passengers can also connect to more than 200 other US destinations through the airline’s partnership with Delta Air Lines.

Passengers from other regions in the UK are also able to connect through Manchester, through Virgin Atlantic’s partnership with FlyBe.

Shai Weiss, chief commercial officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’ve always said that Manchester is an important base for Virgin Atlantic and this latest expansion really cements that. We’re delighted to be able to provide the best possible service to the USA by welcoming a new route to Los Angeles and doubling the amount of flights to Las Vegas. By putting our aircraft on our New York, Atlanta, Boston and now Los Angeles flights, we can really maximise connectivity through our partner Delta, allowing even more customers to take advantage of over 200 US connections.”

Julian Carr aviation director at Manchester Airport added: “It’s pleasing to see Virgin Atlantic continuing to grow from Manchester Airport and we are delighted to see the carrier launch a service to Los Angeles.

“The airline’s commitment and growth clearly demonstrates the role we play at connecting the North to key global destinations and the demand to fly direct from Manchester.

See virginatlantic.com for more information.