Virgin Atlantic will halt its flights to China from UK starting October 26th, marking the end of a 25-year presence in China.
The airline attributed this decision to extended flight durations caused by the necessity to avoid Russian airspace, which has significantly escalated operational expenses.
Currently, the outbound journey from Heathrow requires an additional hour compared to pre-conflict times, while the return journey to London has increased by two hours. Virgin explained that these extended flight times have necessitated extra aircraft and crew resources.
The last flight from Heathrow to Shanghai will take place on October 25th, 2024, followed by the final return journey to Heathrow on October 26th.
Virgin Atlantic announced that affected customers would be contacted starting July 18th to discuss their bookings and provide refunds.
Despite operating the Heathrow-Shanghai route since 1999, Virgin Atlantic only resumed services in May last year following a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.