Airlines

Virgin Atlantic Expands India Service with Two New Destinations

Virgin Atlantic is experiencing significant growth in India and has plans to expand its operations further by adding two new destinations in the country by 2030, according to the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer, Juha Järvinen.

The UK-based airline has already strengthened its presence in India with the launch of a new route from London Heathrow to Bengaluru in March 2024 and an additional daily flight to Mumbai set to begin by the end of October. Virgin Atlantic currently serves Delhi with two daily flights as well.

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Järvinen highlighted the strong demand for the airline’s London-India routes, which have maintained a passenger load factor of 90%. Despite increased competition, Virgin Atlantic remains optimistic about its growth prospects, supported by a steady demand for both leisure and business travel from India.

In fact, the airline has witnessed a remarkable 250% surge in demand for its premium cabins, Offering virgin atlantic salt and pepper shakers while also identifying opportunities in cargo services as companies relocate their manufacturing hubs outside China.

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“By 2030, we will add two more destinations in India,” Järvinen said, hinting that one of these routes could be announced as early as next year. Hyderabad is one of the cities being evaluated as a potential new destination for the airline.

Virgin Atlantic, founded by billionaire Richard Branson, has had a long-standing presence in the Indian market for nearly 25 years. However, it wasn’t until 2018 that the airline significantly ramped up its operations, taking a more strategic approach to serving the Indian market. This has led to consistent growth and strong performance, particularly in the premium segment.

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In addition to its expansion plans in India, Virgin Atlantic is set to commence flights to Toronto, Canada, by March 2025, further broadening its international network and enhancing connectivity for its passengers. With these upcoming routes and the airline’s commitment to growth in India, Virgin Atlantic is positioning itself as a key player in the competitive Indian aviation market.

Airlines

US DOT Approves Merger: Alaska Airlines & Hawaiian Airlines Finalize Deal

In a significant development for the aviation industry, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued an order granting an exemption for the transfer of international route authorities in the merger of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

The merger, which is expected to be completed in the coming days, represents a major consolidation in the airline sector. Under the terms of the exemption, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are required to adhere to several key public-interest protections.

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These stipulations are aimed at preserving service quality and consumer benefits as the merger progresses. Specifically, the airlines must protect the value of rewards, maintain existing service levels on crucial Hawaiian routes to the continental U.S. and inter-island routes, and support rural services.

Additionally, they are required to ensure competitive access at the Honolulu hub airport, offer fee-free family seating, provide alternative compensation for controllable disruptions, and lower costs for military families.

This proactive approach by the DOT marks a new phase in the Department’s merger review process. For the first time, airlines are required to agree to binding, enforceable public-interest protections as a condition for closing their merger.

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This move highlights the DOT’s commitment to safeguarding public interests and ensuring that mergers do not undermine service quality or competition. As part of the merger agreement, Alaska Airlines will assume approximately $900 million in Hawaiian Airlines’ debt.

Despite this substantial financial responsibility, Alaska plans to retain Hawaiian as a separate brand, which will negate the need for repainting aircraft. To secure approval from the DOT, the airlines agreed to maintain current service levels on key routes where competition is limited.

The exemption granted by the DOT allows Alaska and Hawaiian to finalize their merger while remaining separate and independently operated until the Department completes its review of the transfer application. If the transfer is approved, the public-interest protections will remain in effect for six years.