Virgin Atlantic has simply introduced plans to launch a seasonal route, which would be the provider’s shortest service. Nonetheless, for those who’re a passenger, you’re out of luck…
Virgin Atlantic provides London to Brussels cargo flights
For the upcoming winter season, Virgin Atlantic plans to function devoted cargo flights between London (LHR) and Brussels (BRU). The 218-mile flight will function between October 27, 2024, and March 29, 2025, on a mixture of Airbus A330-300s and Airbus A350-1000s.
The goal of the service is reportedly to move time-critical items, akin to perishables and prescription drugs, that are at the moment primarily transported between the 2 areas by truck service. These flights will provide cargo capability of as much as 50 tons, providing firms the chance to export and import items between Europe and markets within the UK and throughout Virgin Atlantic’s community, with quick air connectivity.
Right here’s how Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Business Officer, describes this addition:
“Through the winter interval, we are going to function providers to Brussels, a vacation spot we’re conversant in having flown there efficiently in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. This new service will transport a spread of products together with perishables and prescription drugs, providing quick connections for our prospects between Brussels and the broader European area and Virgin Atlantic’s in depth route community by way of London Heathrow.”
What’s Virgin Atlantic’s actual motivation for this route?
Other than a short interval in the course of the pandemic, Virgin Atlantic isn’t actually within the enterprise of working unique freighter providers with out passengers.
For that matter, it’s onerous to generate profits working devoted cargo flights with passenger plane, particularly for those who’re not eradicating seats from the cabin (which I can’t think about the airline will do, given the restricted variety of frequencies working as a part of this service).
For time-critical items, you’d suppose that the present providers between the airports would do the trick, given the variety of day by day passenger flights that exist between the 2 airports. For that matter, if the demand had been so enormous, you’d suppose British Airways would simply improve its slim physique flights to huge physique plane, so it will possibly transport each passengers and substantial cargo.
That raises the query… is there extra to this? Is that this ridiculously quick flight actually profitable sufficient to make Virgin Atlantic get into the freighter enterprise for the winter season?
The one factor I can give you is questioning if this could be some form of a technique for Virgin Atlantic to make use of its slots in the course of the winter season, when demand for air journey is usually a bit decrease. Heathrow is slot-controlled, and operates underneath a “use it or lose it” association, the place slots may be taken away if not used.
Previously we’ve seen airways typically function “ghost” flights, that are simply very quick flights with no passengers or cargo, with the intention to technically use slots. This newest cargo service certain appears to me like a technique to make use of up slots, particularly given the timing of this service. It’s additionally attainable I’m studying an excessive amount of into this.
Backside line
Virgin Atlantic’s latest route is between London and Brussels, and can solely function within the winter season. That is solely a cargo service, which we don’t in any other case see Virgin Atlantic do a complete lot of. Flying such massive planes on such quick routes certain appears to me like a manner to make use of up slots, so I ponder if that’s the motivation, or if there’s one thing I’m lacking.
What do you make of Virgin Atlantic’s devoted cargo flights to Brussels?
