Virgin Atlantic has announced that it is terminating its only route to mainland China at the end of the summer 2024 season, citing ‘significant challenges and complexities’ due to being unable to overfly Russia.
The final Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport will depart on Oct. 25, retuning the following day. Virgin currently operates the 4,987-nm route daily, operating a Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said, ‘after careful consideration, we’ve taken the difficult decision to suspend our London Heathrow to Shanghai services, after proudly serving this Asian hub city since 1999. Our people and customers in Shanghai have been amazing since we first touched down 25 years ago and since then we’ve provided important connectivity between the UK and Shanghai for thousands of customers and supported global supply chains through our cargo operations. However, significant challenges and complexities on this route have contributed to the commercial decision to suspend flying to Shanghai.’
Lengthy diversions have been necessary since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in spring 2022, which saw many countries impose sanctions on Russian airlines. In retaliation, Russia closed its airspace to most international carriers. This means the flights from London to Shanghai take approximately 1 hour longer than before, with the return leg taking about 2 hours longer, requiring Virgin Atlantic and its peers to account for additional aircraft and crew time. However, Chinese airlines continue to operate over Russia on routes to Europe, giving them a competitive advantage and drawing calls from some western airlines for new rules to help regain parity.
Virgin Atlantic said that passengers booked for travel to China beyond Oct. 26 will be offered a full refund.
