Virgin Atlantic’s forthcoming UK domestic services will be known as ‘Little Red’, it has been announced.
Services will commence from London Heathrow to Manchester (31st March), Edinburgh (6th April), and Aberdeen (9th April), with up to 26 daily departures once all services are under way.
After successfully bidding to the European Commission for the Heathrow slots made available after British Airway’s parent company IAG took over bmi, the airline that flies in the face of ordinary is restoring competition on these three routes which have faced a monopoly since that takeover. Slots made available by IAG will be used to fly to Scotland from 5th April and Virgin Atlantic has utilised its own slots to add the Manchester service from 31st March.
Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic founder and president, said: “Virgin Atlantic has been on an incredible journey since we started with a single plane 29 years ago. Little Red represents the next step on that journey as we go head to head with British Airways to provide domestic flights that deliver Virgin Atlantic’s rock and roll spirit as well as real value for money.
Little Red will operate with four Airbus A320 aircraft on lease from Aer Lingus, but painted in Virgin Atlantic colours.
