Virgin Atlantic to Offer Cancun Service from June 2012

Posted 20/06/2011

Virgin Atlantic Airways will inaugurate flights between London Gatwick and Cancun on June 12, 2012; the airline’s 33rd destination.  The UK carrier will operate a twice weekly service operated by a Boeing 747-400 with three-classes of service that will feature 14 Upper Class Suites, 58 Premium Economy seats and 379 Economy seats.

“Many customers have asked us to fly direct to this exciting destination over the years.  With its superb beaches, great hotels and cultural sites, tourism in Cancun is thriving, we believe that we can drive demand ever higher by providing great competition to our rivals with our award winning product and service,” said Sir Richard Branson, President, Virgin Atlantic Airways.  “Cancun is one of the top five long-haul leisure destinations for UK travellers, so we are delighted to be able to add this route to network.  This route launch further cements our position as the UK's leading long haul leisure airline."

The new route strengthens Virgin Atlantic's leisure network from London Gatwick, which already features nine long-haul destinations in the Caribbean and the US.  The airline expects to carry 94,000 passengers in its first year of operation and estimates that the new route will deliver approximately $25 million of tourism revenue to the Cancun market each year.  British Airways (BA) already operates the route three times every week and carried an estimated 19,000 O&D passengers in the past year.  Thomson Airways also offers charter links between London and Cancun.

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