Austin airport to begin service to Heathrow in London at end of May
Austin soon will have a new international carrier and new nonstop service to London.
Virgin Atlantic will begin service between Austin-bergstrom International Airport and London’s Heathrow Airport on May 25. It will be the airline’s first new route from the U.S. since 2015.
The service will operate four times a week on the airline’s 787-9 aircraft, which has 31 upper class, 35 premium and 192 economy seats.
The new service will connect Austin’s tech hub to one of the world’s financial capitals as well as a destination for tech startups.
Customers traveling to London will also have the option to connect to Virgin Atlantic destinations including Delhi, Mumbai and Shanghai.
“We are thrilled to welcome Virgin Atlantic to Austin and Central Texas,” said Jacqueline Yaft, Austin-bergstrom’s CEO. “This exciting new partnership helps meet our goals of continued recovery from the impacts of the pandemic and furthers our commitment to being the gateway of Central Texas for both leisure and business travelers alike.”
“We are incredibly excited to launch this new service between Austin and London Heathrow,” said Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer at Virgin Atlantic. “With an impressive food, arts and music scene, we know it’s a destination our British customers will love to explore.”
Virgin Atlantic will also offer 20 tons of cargo capacity on each flight. The fast cargo service will allow companies to export and import goods such as high-tech products and e-commerce between prime markets in the U.K. and the U.S.
“The U.S. has been our heart
land for more than 37 years since our first flight to New York City in 1984,” Jarvinen said. “Since U.S. borders opened to U.K. travelers on Nov. 8, it feels extra special to be launching new flying, especially to the fantastic city of Austin.”
The flights, which will operate Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, will be available for booking starting Wednesday at www.virginatlantic.com. The flights will depart Austin at 6:05 p.m. and arrive in London at 9 a.m., with return flights departing London at 11:35 a.m. and arriving in Austin at 4:05 p.m.
British Airways has offered a direct Austin-tolondon route since 2014 but put the service on hold during the coronavirus pandemic. The airline resumed the route in October.
A number of airlines have recently said they will expand service in Austin. Southwest Airlines announced that it would add nine new nonstop routes in the spring in response to market demand from leisure and business travelers.
Southwest said it will begin daily nonstop service March 10 to Amarillo; Midland; Charleston, S.C.; Columbus, Ohio; and Ontario, Calif.
The Dallas-based airline said it will begin service March 12 to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and seasonal weekly service to Panama City, Fla.; Sarasota/bradenton, Fla.; and Destin/ Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Southwest began service in Austin 44 years ago. It is now the dominant carrier at Austin-bergstrom.
Last year, American Airlines began flying 10 yearround and seasonal routes from Austin-bergstrom. They include year-round service to Las Vegas; Nashville, Tenn.; New Orleans; Orlando, Fla.; Raleigh-durham, N.C.; Tampa, Fla.; and Washington Dulles.
Saturday seasonal service began in June to Aspen, Colo.; San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; and Destinfort Walton Beach, Fla.