Virgin Atlantic is to relaunch flights between London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Dubai after a four-year hiatus.
The four-times-a-week service will operate seasonally from October through to March.
The airline, owned by Sir Richard Branson, wants to capitalise on “pent up demand for premium travel and grow its route network”.
The relaunch of the popular route, which Virgin last flew to in March 2019, follows two other newly announced destinations: the Maldives, plus Turks and Caicos.
The Dubai route will commence on October 28, 2023, operating on the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
The Maldives and Turks and Caicos flights will begin in October 2023.
On June 1, 2023, Virgin also announced an expansion to services from Manchester Airport (MAN) with new services to Las Vegas commencing in Summer 2024.
“I’m thrilled to be returning to Dubai – a destination we know our customers and people love. Its inviting climate during the cold UK winter, combined with its first-class collection of hotels and experiences make Dubai a must visit destination for sunshine hungry Brits,” Rikke Christensen, Vice president of Network and Alliances at Virgin Atlantic, said. “We’ve long wanted to return to this incredible city when the time was right, and this year presents the perfect opportunity.”
Christensen added: “Dubai will complement our growing collection of winter sun destinations, bolstered by The Maldives and Turks and Caicos later this year alongside our new services between Manchester and Las Vegas in Summer 2024.”
Tickets to Dubai go on sale from June 7, 2023.