Customers shipping cargo to the UK from the northeast US will then benefit from a choice of up to 18 daily flights between Boston and New York and the two London airports, plus Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
In March 2020, Delta and Virgin will increase capacity between New York JFK and London Heathrow. Delta will increase its services to three daily frequencies, with Virgin Atlantic operating five, providing more flight options connecting one of the world’s premier trade lanes. Virgin Atlantic’s Heathrow to JFK flights will also be the first route served by the airline’s new Airbus A350 from September 2019, which will offer a further cargo capacity boost.
Virgin Atlantic will also up frequencies from Heathrow to Seattle from seven to 11 flights per week. Los Angeles will also see services rise from 14 to 17 flights per week.
Gatwick will become Delta’s seventh trans-Atlantic destination served nonstop from Boston when flights begin in May 2020. At the same time, Virgin Atlantic will launch a daily flight to New York JFK from Gatwick.
Delta will return to Manchester, with a new summer service to Boston from May 2020, taking over Virgin Atlantic’s current operation. Flights will increase from the current three per week to a daily service. Together, Delta and Virgin will offer a schedule of up to six daily flights to Manchester from six US cities next summer.
Shawn Cole, Delta Air Lines’ Vice President-Cargo, commented: “We’re excited to be sharing this expansion with our joint venture partner, Virgin Atlantic, and to be returning to London Gatwick as well as Manchester, and growing our international network from Boston.”
Dominic Kennedy, Managing Director, Cargo at Virgin Atlantic, said: “This is great news for the cargo customers of both airlines and will significantly increase the choice they have to ship goods between the UK and US.”