Virgin Atlantic Airways

History

Virgin Atlantic was founded in 1984 (initially incorporated as British Atlantic Airways) and began flying that June with a leased Boeing 747 on the London Gatwick–Newark route, built up by Richard Branson as a long-haul challenger to British Airways. Ownership has shifted over time — Delta Air Lines bought Singapore Airlines' minority stake in 2013 — and the airline underwent a significant financial restructuring, including a Chapter 15 process, after the COVID-19 pandemic hit long-haul travel in 2020.

Current Operations

Virgin Atlantic flies long-haul widebody routes — Airbus A330s and A350s alongside Boeing 787 Dreamliners — from its main hub at London Heathrow, with a secondary base at Manchester, to North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In March 2023 it became the first British airline to join a global alliance since bmi joined Star Alliance in 2002, aligning with SkyTeam alongside major shareholder Delta Air Lines (49%, versus Virgin Group's 51%).

Last verified 2026-08-22· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.

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