For the first time in its history, Virgin Atlantic will be operating domestic flights in the UK. The Manchester-London Heathrow route will open on 31 March 2013, with three daily flights. The aircraft - an Airbus A319 - will link terminal 1 of the London airport to terminal 3 of the Manchester hub, with departures from London at 9.20am, 4.10pm and 8.10pm. On the return leg, departures from Manchester are scheduled at 12.20pm, 5.50pm and 6.50am.
Virgin Atlantic's arrival on the domestic market can be explained by the availabilities left by BMI since its takeover by British Airways, and the desire to supply the airline's long-haul network in order to regain market share from its British competitor. Steve Ridgway warns: "This is just the beginning of our short- and medium-haul project". The CEO of Virgin Atlantic adds: "Our new service will add strong competition to the omnipresence of British Airways. It will drive prices down and give customers real choice to get to Heathrow and beyond. While the airline's management is still keeping the quality of service on board under wraps, some details of the offer reserved for business travellers are already known: Upper Class passengers and members of the Flying Club Gold programme connecting to the long-haul network will have access to the lounges at London Heathrow and Manchester Airport. Note that the chauffeur service will also be available to passengers travelling in Upper Class.
