Virgin Atlantic Permanently Ends Hong Kong Flights
Virgin Atlantic is dropping its Hong Kong route for good, canceling flights and closing its offices in the Asian financial hub. The decision comes after a 30-year history in the city.
The UK airline said in a statement Wednesday that several factors contributed to its decision, including the closure of Russian airspace, which added up to two hours to its flight times. It also cited the end of the Virgin Australia Hong Kong-Melbourne and Hong Kong-Sydney services in 2019, whcih reduced the number of connecting customers to and from Australia.
“After careful consideration, we’ve taken the difficult decision to suspend our London Heathrow – Hong Kong services and close our Hong Kong office,” the statement read.
Around 46 Virgin Atlantic jobs will be impacted by the decision, consisting of a mix of office staff and cabin crew. Virgin Atlantic apologized for any inconvenience caused to affected customers.
“We’re very sorry for the disappointment caused to our loyal customers on this route and anyone booked to travel from March 2023 will be offered a refund, voucher or the option to rebook on an alternative Virgin Atlantic route,” the airline said in its statement.
Virgin Atlantic hasn’t operated passenger flights to Hong Kong since December, after the city banned all flights from the UK. The news comes as Hong Kong dropped strict Covid restrictions.
