In May 2012, Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson touched down at YVR to kickoff the inaugural Virgin Atlantic seasonal service.
Virgin Atlantic’s summer seasonal direct service from Vancouver to London Heathrow service ended on October 11, 2014.
Virgin previously operated five flights per week from Vancouver, its only Canadian destination.
Virgin is also ending service between London and Tokyo’s Narita airport; between London and Mumbai, India, on February 1; and winter seasonal service to Cape Town, South Africa, after April 2015.
Virgin plans to strengthen its North American services through its partnership with Delta Air Lines, which acquired a 49 per cent stake in the U.K.-based airline last year. Delta serves Vancouver from three of its U.S. hubs—Seattle, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City.
According to a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson, the airline will continue to service the Vancouver market via a one-stop service on Delta Airlines connecting through Seattle or Minneapolis.
