Latest news with #JuhaJarvinen
TTG
12 hours ago
- Business
- TTG
Agents to gain India booking boost as Virgin Atlantic signs deal with IndiGo
Laura Millar Writer Virgin Atlantic announced the new partnership with the fast-growing low-cost carrier this weekend in Delhi, where it also marked 25 years of its own service from Heathrow to the city. The deal with IndiGo includes Virgin's fellow SkyTeam members Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines, with the airlines saying they would 'build an industry-leading partnership to offer travellers broader access, smoother journeys, and a more consistent experience, linking dozens of cities in the US, Canada, Europe and India' as travel to the country continues to flourish. In 2024, India experienced a 1.4% growth in international arrivals, reaching 9,657,003, with the UK representing more than 10% of that, placing the country as the third largest source market. 'In real terms, this IndiGo partnership means more passenger capacity and potentially more destinations in the country,' said Virgin Atlantic's chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen. 'We currently have access to 36 destinations here, and from 1 July we'll be adding the IndiGo codeshare to our flights from Manchester to the US. Having a foothold here is immensely important to us, and Virgin Atlantic is the fifth largest airline to fly between Europe and India.' 'In real terms, this means more passenger capacity and potentially more destinations in the country' 'This is only the beginning; we firmly believe that India is the right place for Virgin Atlantic and our partners, especially with regards to how quickly India is growing,' he said. The airline currently offers five daily flights from the UK, translating to around a million seats annually. 'India today is our third largest passenger market, and second biggest in terms of cargo so it is clearly a massive opportunity for us,' Jarvinen added. 'But at the same time, we need to make sure we localise ourselves; we will customise our offering on board and on the ground. With those five daily flights – two daily to Delhi, two daily to Mumbai and one daily to Bengaluru – that lays the foundation.' The London-Delhi route is seen as eminently successful, having doubled operation to two daily flights in 2023, with load factors hovering around 90% in all cabins. The airline uses a mixture of aircraft on the route, the A350-1000 being the biggest, with capacity for nearly 400 passengers. While Upper Class remains popular with business travellers, Jarvinen added the increasing development of the Indian economy – recently announced as seeing Q4 GDP growth of 7.4% – and the growing wealth of the population had meant a corresponding rise in premium leisure and VFR traffic. Speaking to TTG at The Oberoi in New Delhi, Jarvinen also revealed that while the airline is happy with the three cities it currently serves and the frequency of direct flights it offers to India, Virgin is always exploring new options. 'With the new partnership with IndiGo, we have opportunities to grow together,' he said. Trade focus Jarvinen said the growth of the SkyTeam partnership with IndiGo has positive implications for UK agents selling into India. 'We are very committed to omnichannel distributions. The travel trade is very important to us today, and will still be in the future, so whichever products we sell, they will always be available through the trade and we are also working with NDC [New Distribution Capability] solutions. These will definitely be through a carrot rather than stick approach – we will give a better offering through NDC, including ancillary services and dynamic pricing,' he added. Since launching in 2005, IndiGo has become one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, with 400 aircraft transporting 118 million passengers last year alone, and further moves planned to grow international routes. Jarvinen said that in terms of client perception, IndiGo's original status as a low-cost carrier was unlikely to deter Virgin Atlantic customers perhaps more inclined towards a full-service airline. 'IndiGo today is at the very least a hybrid, meaning they have many of the principles of an LCC, but now they already have at least two class products on their domestic flights. They call their business cabin IndiGoStretch, which I believe is actually a better business product than many European airlines have, with a bigger seat,' he said. 'They will then obviously evolve that concept to their long-haul flights when they come, and we are of course eager to see their own A350s coming in 2027, so we'll see what kind of product they offer then. But they are definitely moving much more into a mainstream service.'
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Airline adds more flights between Edinburgh and Orlando
It means next summer the service will operate from April to the end of October, with up to three flights per week, marking further growth for Virgin Atlantic at Edinburgh Airport, its home in Scotland. Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: 'We know Orlando is a bit of a bucket-list destination, so this is fantastic news for families in Scotland who have long wanted to experience everything Florida has to offer. READ MORE: 'The additional frequencies offer more options to our passengers and makes it even easier to leave Edinburgh in the morning and be arguing with your family in a Florida rental car by dinner time! 'We're excited to see Virgin Atlantic grows its presence at Edinburgh Airport and is another show of confidence in the market and its home in Scotland.' Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic, commented: 'Orlando has long been one of Virgin Atlantic's top destinations, with thousands of Brits flocking to Florida every year for the warming climates and thrilling attractions, including the recent opening of Epic Universe. I'm delighted that our Scottish guests can soak up even more of the action with the extension of our Orlando flying programme this summer
Travel Daily News
3 days ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Virgin Atlantic adds more flights between Edinburgh and Orlando for 2026
Virgin Atlantic adds twelve more Edinburgh-Orlando flights for summer 2026, offering nearly 5,000 extra seats and expanded travel options. Passengers looking to go on the holiday of a lifetime will now have more options as more flights are added between Edinburgh and Orlando for 2026. Virgin Atlantic will extend is current summer seasonal route next year by adding an additional twelve rotations – the equivalent of almost 5,000 seats. It means next summer the service will operate from April to the end of October, with up to three flights per week, marking further growth for Virgin Atlantic at Edinburgh Airport, its home in Scotland. Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: 'We know Orlando is a bit of a bucket-list destination, so this is fantastic news for families in Scotland who have long wanted to experience everything Florida has to offer. The additional frequencies offer more options to our passengers and makes it even easier to leave Edinburgh in the morning and be arguing with your family in a Florida rental car by dinner time! We're excited to see Virgin Atlantic grows its presence at Edinburgh Airport and is another show of confidence in the market and its home in Scotland.' Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic, commented: 'Orlando has long been one of Virgin Atlantic's top destinations, with thousands of Brits flocking to Florida every year for the warming climates and thrilling attractions, including the recent opening of Epic Universe. I'm delighted that our Scottish guests can soak up even more of the action with the extension of our Orlando flying programme this summer.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Edinburgh Airport to get more Virgin Atlantic flights to popular US holiday spot
A top airline has announced that they will be increasing their number of flights between Edinburgh and a popular holiday destination in the United States. Virgin Atlantic will be extending their summer seasonal route in 2026 and add 12 new rotations between the capital and Orlando, Florida to their current line-up. It will mean that their summer route will run from April to the end of October, adding the equivalent of 5,000 seats to their service. READ MORE: Edinburgh police 'in riot gear' swoop on quiet street in ongoing incident READ MORE: Edinburgh filming for '90s classic movie remake takes over Portobello beach Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: 'We know Orlando is a bit of a bucket-list destination, so this is fantastic news for families in Scotland who have long wanted to experience everything Florida has to offer. 'The additional frequencies offer more options to our passengers and makes it even easier to leave Edinburgh in the morning and be arguing with your family in a Florida rental car by dinner time! 'We're excited to see Virgin Atlantic grows its presence at Edinburgh Airport and is another show of confidence in the market and its home in Scotland.' This expansion will see three flights a week from Edinburgh, further securing Edinburgh Airport as Virgin Atlantic's home in Scotland. Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic, added: 'Orlando has long been one of Virgin Atlantic's top destinations, with thousands of Brits flocking to Florida every year for the warming climates and thrilling attractions, including the recent opening of Epic Universe. " I'm delighted that our Scottish guests can soak up even more of the action with the extension of our Orlando flying programme this summer.' Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages
Edinburgh Live
4 days ago
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Airport to get more Virgin Atlantic flights to popular US holiday spot
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A top airline has announced that they will be increasing their number of flights between Edinburgh and a popular holiday destination in the United States. Virgin Atlantic will be extending their summer seasonal route in 2026 and add 12 new rotations between the capital and Orlando, Florida to their current line-up. It will mean that their summer route will run from April to the end of October, adding the equivalent of 5,000 seats to their service. Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: 'We know Orlando is a bit of a bucket-list destination, so this is fantastic news for families in Scotland who have long wanted to experience everything Florida has to offer. 'The additional frequencies offer more options to our passengers and makes it even easier to leave Edinburgh in the morning and be arguing with your family in a Florida rental car by dinner time! 'We're excited to see Virgin Atlantic grows its presence at Edinburgh Airport and is another show of confidence in the market and its home in Scotland.' This expansion will see three flights a week from Edinburgh, further securing Edinburgh Airport as Virgin Atlantic's home in Scotland. Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic, added: 'Orlando has long been one of Virgin Atlantic's top destinations, with thousands of Brits flocking to Florida every year for the warming climates and thrilling attractions, including the recent opening of Epic Universe. " I'm delighted that our Scottish guests can soak up even more of the action with the extension of our Orlando flying programme this summer.'
