Virgin Atlantic has announced that it will terminate its only route to mainland China at the end of the summer 2024 season, marking the end of a 25 years of service.
The carrier will cancel its only route linking London-Heathrow (LHR) and Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), with the last flight taking off on October 25, 2024. The route is currently operated using Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
“Significant challenges and complexities on this route have contributed to the commercial decision to suspend flying to Shanghai,” a spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic told Bloomberg.
Virgin Atlantic cited operational costs and geopolitical tensions, particularly not being able to fly over Russia, as the main reasons for dropping the route. After the Russian invasion, the European Council (EC) enforced sanctions on Russia, banning Russian carriers from accessing airports in the United States and prohibiting them from flying over European Union (EU) airspace.
Flights from London to Shanghai have increased by one hour, while the return journey approximately takes an additional two hours. The carrier said the change requires additional aircraft and crew time, resulting in increased operational costs.
Meanwhile, Chinese airlines continued to use Russian airspace to gain a competitive advantage on Europe-Asia routes.
Virgin Atlantic signed a codeshare agreement with China Eastern back in January 2024, which allowed travelers to easily access services between the United Kingdom and East Asia, linking London-Heathrow (LHR) and Shanghai Pudong International (PVG).