Virgin Atlantic Reduces Key US Flight Frequencies This Winter

London, England — Virgin Atlantic Airways is reducing flights on several key US routes this winter season. The cuts will primarily affect flights from London Heathrow to Orlando, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. These routes will maintain the same frequency as the previous winter season, but there will still be notable reductions.

According to recent scheduling data from aviation analytics company Cirium, the London Heathrow (LHR) to San Francisco (SFO) route will see its frequencies cut in half from 14 to 7 flights in November, followed by a consistent weekly schedule of 7 flights through the winter. Additionally, Virgin Atlantic will reduce its weekly offerings from 10 to 7 flights on the LHR to Orlando (MCO) route starting in December and will cut one or two flights each week on the LHR to Washington Dulles (IAD) route from January to March.

In a statement regarding these changes, Virgin Atlantic confirmed, “Orlando and San Francisco will remain the same capacity as winter 2024 / 2025, with Orlando operating 10 flights per week during November, before reducing to seven flights a week for the rest of the winter season. Our flights to Washington will remain at the same capacity with six flights scheduled per week.”

The airline’s decision comes in light of slowing demand for US travel, which it indicated earlier this year. Virgin Atlantic had already announced cutbacks on some US routes in April, including eliminating a daily flight to JFK and reducing flights to Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) from seven to four weekly.

Major European carriers such as Air France-KLM and Lufthansa have also noted a dip in demand, reflecting a broader trend brought on by economic uncertainties and reduced premium travel demand. According to industry analysts, the softening US economy is exerting influence on these declines.

Despite these adjustments, Virgin Atlantic has enjoyed a profitable year, marking its first profitable year since 2016, although it is still navigating over $1 billion in debt accumulated during the pandemic.

Virgin Atlantic has provided transatlantic flights for over 41 years, connecting various US cities with its London hub. As part of the ‘Big Five’ transatlantic airlines, Virgin continues to adapt its offerings to the changing market.