Virgin Atlantic Airlines, founded in 1984 and commencing operations on June 22, 1984, is a British airline headquartered in Crawley. Initially established as British Atlantic Airways in 1984, it was conceived by its co-founders, Alan Hellary and Randolph Fields, to operate flights between London and the Falkland Islands.

After rebranding as Virgin Atlantic Airways, Fields sold his share due to disagreements with Richard Branson. The airline's maiden flight from Gatwick International Airport to Newark Airport took place on June 22, 1984. Virgin Atlantic, along with Virgin Holidays, is controlled by the holding company Virgin Atlantic Limited. It is 50% owned by the Virgin Group and 49% by Delta Air Lines.

Virgin Atlantic International Limited and Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited hold the Civil Aviation Authority. The airline operates a mixed fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft to destinations in North America, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Its central hub is London Heathrow, with a secondary hub at Manchester. The airline also operates a seasonal service from Edinburgh and offers three cabins: Economy, Premium, and Upper Class.

In July 2017, the airline announced its intention to form a joint venture with Air France-KLM. However, it was confirmed in December 2019 that the joint venture would not include an ownership stake.

In May 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline announced layoffs of 3,000 staff, a reduction of the fleet to 35 aircraft by the summer of 2022, and the retirement of Boeing 747-400s. It also stated that operations at Gatwick Airport would not resume following the pandemic.

On August 4, 2020, the airline filed for Chapter 15 Bankruptcy protection in New York.

History

The origins of the airline trace back to a joint venture between Randolph Fields, an American-born lawyer, and Alan Hellary, a former chief pilot for the British private airline Laker Airways. After the collapse of Laker Airways in 1982, Hellary and Fields sought to establish a new company known as British Atlantic Airways. They made efforts to secure a license to operate a route between London's Gatwick Airport and JFK Airport in New York.

Early Years

Virgin Atlantic launched its inaugural scheduled service between Gatwick and Newark using a leased Boeing 747-200 on June 22, 1984. Richard Branson adopted a business approach that aimed to either achieve success within the first year or exit the market. The airline became profitable within its first 12 months, aided by Virgin Records' ability to finance the lease of a secondhand Boeing 747.

In November 1984, the airline introduced a service between Gatwick Airport and Maastricht Aachen Airport. It expanded its fleet with additional Boeing 747 aircraft and launched a scheduled route from Gatwick to Miami in 1986. More routes were quickly added, including New York JFK in 1988 and Tokyo Narita in 1989. Additional destinations included Los Angeles in 1990, Orlando in 1992, and Boston in 1991.

The airline also briefly operated a service between Luton and Dublin, which was later withdrawn around 1990.

Competition

Virgin Atlantic gained permission to operate from Heathrow following the abolition of the London Air Traffic Distribution rules in 1991. The Civil Aviation Authority transferred two pairs of unused landing slots held by British Airways at Tokyo's Narita Airport to Virgin Atlantic, allowing an increase in frequency between Heathrow and Tokyo from around four to six weekly round trips.