Virgin Atlantic has announced that it will not return to Hong Kong after nearly 30 years of service. Virgin Atlantic had a Hong Kong office that will close.
Virgin Atlantic even had a Clubhouse in Hong Kong Airport until 2017. This will result in the loss of 46 jobs, including those in the office and in the cabin.
According to Virgin Atlantic, the Hong Kong route was already losing money prior to the pandemic, and there were fewer travelers connecting.
Virgin Australia used to provide a connecting service between Hong Kong and Melbourne and Sydney, but Virgin Atlantic reduced the number of long-haul flights, resulting in fewer people connecting.
The airline expects demand to increase gradually to Hong Kong, and with Russian airspace closed, the route could take up to two hours longer to operate in each direction.