Virgin Atlantic Reviews
Virgin Atlantic Reviews
Virgin Atlantic, a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited, is a British airline that is mostly owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. The Virgin Group owns 51% of the airline, and Delta Air Lines owns the remaining 49%. Virgin Atlantic’s head office is in Crawley, West Sussex, England, near Gatwick Airport. The airline was established in 1984, and was originally planned by co-founders Randolph Fields and Alan Hellary to fly between London and the Falkland Islands. The pair met Richard Branson and, through negotiations, renamed the airline as Virgin Atlantic. The maiden flight from Gatwick Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport was completed on 22 June 1984.
Virgin Atlantic uses a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body jets and operates between the United Kingdom, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia from its main base at Gatwick with secondary bases at London Heathrow and Manchester. The airline has operated domestic flights within the United Kingdom since 31 March 2013. It is separate from other Virgin-branded airlines. In 2012, Virgin Atlantic carried 5.4 million passengers, making it the seventh-largest UK airline in terms of passenger volume. In the year to February 2013, the airline had an annual operating loss of £128.4 million. Virgin Atlantic’s head office, known as The Office, is located in the Business Quarter of Crawley, West Sussex, England, near Gatwick Airport. The same building houses the corporate offices of Virgin Holidays. Prior to the establishment of The Office, Virgin Atlantic had its head office in Ashdown House on the High Street in Crawley. Virgin’s first aircraft were painted with a “Eurowhite” design with a red stripe through the centre of the main deck windows. Virgin Atlantic uses a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with an average age of 9.1 years as of July 2013. Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited holds a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Type A Operating Licence, which permits it to carry passengers, cargo, and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.
Virgin Atlantic operates the Flying Club, which is a frequent-flyer program that allows for members to earn and redeem miles on Virgin Atlantic services, as well as with partner airlines and companies.
