Article from BTNews 7 OCTOBER 2019
Virgin plots Manchester expansion
A substantial increase in seating capacity to New York, a third weekly service to Barbados for the winter and the opening of a Clubhouse lounge are elements of an expansion programme at Manchester Airport announced last week by Virgin Atlantic.
The airline said in a bid to increase choice for customers travelling from the Manchester region, it was expanding its operation as it continued to grow its northern hub.
The moves mean Virgin’s winter schedule from Manchester will be its biggest to date, with nearly 30,000 additional seats year on year and the largest aircraft in the fleet, the Boeing B747, operating more of the services to New York.
Virgin says this will increase Manchester – JFK capacity by 65% year on year, while the augmented schedule also includes a third weekly service from Manchester to Barbados introduced for the full Winter 2019 season.
The airline last year increased capacity from Manchester Airport by 20%, including a new service to Los Angeles. This carried more than 20,000 passengers in its first three months and provided the only Business Class cabin on the route.
Virgin is also planning to bring its iconic Clubhouse lounge with workspaces and a spa to Manchester for the first time from next spring for Upper Class passengers and Gold Card members.
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