Virgin Atlantic has revealed its first foray into South America with the launch of a new route from Heathrow to Sao Paulo in 2020.
The daily flight to Sao Paulo¡¯s Guarulhos International airport will be operated by Virgin Atlantic¡¯s B787 aircraft featuring Upper Class, Premium and all three Economy products ¨C Delight, Classic and Light.
Virgin Atlantic says the new route was chosen to capitalise on Brazil¡¯s fast-growing economy, with Sao Paulo being the ¡°commercial capital¡± of the country. The city has proven popular for business travel, with multinational companies¡¯ offices drawing corporates to Brazil.
Juha Jarvinen, executive vice president of commercial, commented: ¡°2019 marks the start of a new phase of growth for Virgin Atlantic as we work to become the most-loved travel company. Sao Paulo represents an incredible opportunity for our business, and we¡¯re very excited to be flying to a brand new continent for the first time.
¡°There are a significant number of corporate customers and multinational businesses located in this Powerhouse of South America who can now enjoy the Virgin Atlantic experience on this busy international route.¡±
The news comes as Virgin Atlantic embarks on an ambitious growth plan. In 2019, the airline will take delivery of the first four of its 12 new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, which will feature its redesigned Upper Class.
Virgin Atlantic is also one of the founding members of a new US$13 billion transatlantic joint venture with Delta, Air France and KLM, which will offer more than 300 daily flights on 96 routes.
It is also a member of the Connect Airways consortium alongside Stobart Group and Cyrus Capital, which recently acquired regional carrier Flybe.
virginatlantic.com