Virgin Atlantic to buy new planes and offer new routes

27/06/2009

Virgin Atlantic has celebrated its 25th year of operations by ordering ten new Airbus A330 aircrafts.

The £1.3 billion scheme will see the airline expand routes during 2011 and 2012, since the model can carry 270 passengers at a time.

It is thought that the carrier will use the opportunity to offer travellers new routes to Beijing, Cancun and Vancouver from Gatwick and Heathrow airports.

Steve Ridgway, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, commented: "Virgin Atlantic has a strong history of successfully investing during a downturn and our Airbus order today sends a strong signal that now is the time to invest, in order to help protect jobs and get the world's economy moving again."

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson marked the 25th anniversary by dancing on the wing of one of his aircraft with supermodel Kate Moss.

Meanwhile, British Airways has announced new routes as part of its winter 2009 schedule.

From November, it is thought that the operator will offer routes from Gatwick Airport to Las Vegas, Montego Bay in Jamaica, Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, Innsbruck in Austria and Male in the Maldives.