Mumbai, April 6 British carrier Virgin Atlantic announced on Monday that it plans to increase its flight services between London Heathrow and Bengaluru from 11 per week to 13 per week from June 1 until the end of the current summer schedule.
This will provide more consistent connectivity between the city and the UK, while improving access to onward destinations across North America, including Toronto, Seattle, San Francisco and New York JFK, through Virgin Atlantic's joint venture with Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM, the airline said.
The enhanced schedule builds on the airline's growing presence in Bengaluru and follows the introduction of additional frequencies earlier this year, the airline said.
It also announced that flight VS358/359 operating on the London Heathrow-Mumbai route will be temporarily switched to Airbus A350 from Boeing 787 until May 15. This would add 30 per cent more capacity on the route, further strengthening connectivity during the busy travel season.
The move reflects Virgin Atlantic's continued focus on strengthening its India network and optimizing connectivity across key global markets, it stated.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already published the summer schedule for international operations.
The Bengaluru service continues to be operated by Virgin Atlantic's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, offering 31 Upper Class, 35 premium and 192 economy seats, alongside the airline's signature Upper Class social space.
India represents Virgin Atlantic's largest area of growth outside the US, the airline said and added that the expanded Bengaluru schedule complements its double daily services from London Heathrow to both Delhi and Mumbai.
It also further deepens the airline's partnership with IndiGo, enabling seamless connections to more than 30 destinations across India, including Goa, Amritsar and Jaipur, Virgin Atlantic said.
"India continues to be one of Virgin Atlantic's most dynamic and fastest growing markets, and Bengaluru is central to that growth. Our enhanced schedule ensures a more consistent and well-timed service during the busy summer season, complementing our double-daily flights to Delhi and Mumbai," said Shivani Singh, Country Manager for India at Virgin Atlantic.
Being one of India's leading technology and innovation hubs, Bengaluru plays a critical role in global business travel.
The airline offers more than 500,000 seats annually between the UK and India.
With the continued growth of its Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru services, Virgin Atlantic is also increasing its crew complement on India routes, raising the number of crew per flight to six to further enhance the onboard experience, it stated.