An airline has become the first to operate direct flights from Hong Kong to Gatwick Airport near London.

Hong Kong Airlines flew its first plane on March 7 and will run daily flights to and from the administrative region of China.

Passengers on the route are flown during the night on a 116-seater plane, which includes 34 flat-bed seats and 82 business-class seats.

The new service can also be linked to Stansted Airport for connecting flights elsewhere, by catching the London to Stansted bus.

Although Hong Kong Airlines is the only company to fly direct to Gatwick, five other companies operate flights direct from Hong Kong to nearby Heathrow Airport in west London, providing some indirect competition.

Six flights are run every day from Heathrow to Hong Kong by Qantas, five by Air New Zealand, four by Cathay Pacific, two by British Airways and one by Virgin Atlantic.

Qantas however will be stopping its Hong Kong-Heathrow flights there at the end of March.

Hong Kong Airlines spokesman Gerard Clarke said: “We have gained a reputation for outstanding service over the past five years and we look forward to extending this to our new flagship route, connecting two global business capitals of the world.

“The concept for the all club-class aircraft will provide passengers with a private jet-style ambience and an exceptional crew-to-guest ratio.

“And we are confident that we have the right knowledge and experience to make a success of the new all-club-class daily service.”

Copyright © Press Association 2012

Travellers heading to Mumbai will once again be able to travel on Virgin Atlantic after the airline announced it was restarting its service to the Indian city.

Sir Richard Branson’s carrier will begin flights from Heathrow Airport to Mumbai from October 28, three years after suspending its service due to falling interest and ever increasing competition from rival airlines.

However, demand has flourished in the intervening years to make the destination Heathrow’s 12th busiest route, seeing as many as one million people head to the commercial and entertainment centre every year. Air India and British Airways already serve the Heathrow to Mumbai route.

The Airbus A330 aircraft will fly daily along the route for Virgin, and the new move is expected to create around 100 jobs both in India and the UK.

“We are proud to be flying to Mumbai again, linking this wonderful city to our key destinations of London, New York, Boston, Washington and Chicago,” said Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway.

“India’s phenomenal growth continues to drive travel to the UK and the USA and we know our passengers are going to love the connections the new flight offers.”

Those flying on the aircraft will be able to enjoy Panasonic’s latest in-flight entertainment system, which includes easy-to-use touchscreen technology and over 300 hours of content.

Copyright © Press Association 2012

Virgin Atlantic is to offer business travellers flying from Heathrow airport a new upper-class cabin in a bid to attract more passengers.

The airline said it has invested £100 million into the new cabin, which is expected to be introduced to travellers in spring this year.

The cabin, which Virgin says is “cutting edge” and will give business travellers the “wow factor”, has better seats and will feature faster service times than the airline’s traditional business class.

It will initially be used on Virgin Atlantic’s daily morning flight which connects Heathrow airport and New York, but the company has announced plans to roll it out across its entire fleet at Heathrow once it has been successfully bedded in on the Airbus 330.

Virgin Atlantic’s chief operating officer Steve Griffiths said he was confident the new cabin would boost the number of passengers on business travel.

He said: “This is not just about the seat. It involves new product, new in-flight entertainment and investment in the service. It will absolutely make Virgin Atlantic the best in class.

“There are elements of this investment we believe business passengers, in particular, will appreciate.”

Virgin Atlantic is part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and operates between the UK and North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

Copyright Press Association 2012

An airline is phasing out its novelty aeroplane-shaped salt and pepper shakers because they have been repeatedly pinched by passengers.

The Virgin Atlantic Upper Class tableware pieces are now regularly auctioned on eBay, with individual pots selling for up to £20 each.

From next month, the pots – which have been shaken and stolen for the past 12 years – will be replaced, along with the current Upper Class cutlery and dining ware.

Janune Doy, Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman, said: “Who could have guessed that salt and pepper pots designed for our aircraft would one day be found in homes all over the world and we are thankful to our Upper Class passengers for spreading the message around the globe.

She said that the theft of the condiment pots was a “back-handed tribute” to how well they had been designed by Virgin Atlantic’s in-house designers.

“We’re expecting a last-minute rush when fans realise that their supply is coming to an end,” Ms Doy said.

“Prices for ‘liberated’ examples may also increase as they do in any market when stock becomes scarce.”

More recently the salt and pepper pots had been stamped with the words “Pinched from Virgin Atlantic”.

The message was meant to deter people from putting the crockery in their cabin luggage and sneaking them on to their airport transfers – but they were still taken.

Copyright © Press Association 2011

Passengers travelling on Virgin Atlantic flights, including those setting off from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, will now see warning signs alerting passengers to whether an on-flight film will be a tearjerker or not.

Water For Elephants, starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson, and Just Go With It, starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, will be the first feature-length films to carry the warning on upcoming flights.

Virgin Atlantic bosses took the decision to include the warning notices on emotive films after a survey carried out on behalf of the airline revealed that 55% of passengers thought their emotions became heightened while flying.

Of the men polled, 41% said they hid under blankets in an attempt to hide their tears from other passengers, while women were most likely to pretend they had something in their eye if a film had tugged on their heartstrings.

The survey also revealed that people from Wolverhampton were the most emotionally sensitive in Britain, while those from Gloucester were least likely to cry because of a film’s storyline. 

Passengers who took part in the survey listed Toy Story 3, The Blind Side and Eat Pray Love as being the most emotive tearjerkers.

Meanwhile, easyJet’s Louis Mondeville Cotes de Gascogne has been voted the best airline white wine by flight comparison site Skyscanner.

Copyright © Press Association 2011

Staff strikes and volcanic ash cost British Airways £250 million in the three months to June 30, the airline has announced.

While passengers travelling from London to Stansted and Luton airports were also affected by Iceland’s volcanic eruption, BA’s troubles were exacerbated by 22 days of industrial action by cabin crew. 

Its ongoing dispute with the Unite union, combined with almost a week of grounded planes due to closed European airspace in April, sent the airline £164 million into the red. 

Staff strikes and volcanic ash cost British Airways £250 million in the three months to June 30, the airline has announced.

This meant its overall first-quarter revenue dropped 2.3% to hit £1.94 billion, while an 11.2% fall in passenger capacity meant that ticket sales were down 3.4%. 

Chief executive Willie Walsh said that, despite the unresolved cabin crew issues which could see more walkouts in September, BA still expected to break even in 2010 following two years of successive losses. 

In July BA received US regulatory clearance for a transatlantic flight alliance with American Airlines and Iberia and agreed a pension scheme recovery plan with regulators. 

Meanwhile, Sir Richard Branson’s airline Virgin Atlantic announced that it made a big operating loss last year but that revenues and passenger numbers rose in the first part of this year. 

Virgin’s group pre-tax operating loss for the period March 2009 to February 2010 was £132 million, compared with a profit of £60 million for March 2008 to February 2009. 

Revenues for 2009/10 decreased 8.6% to £2.35 billion but operating costs reduced 8%. 

Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway said: “The start of the year has been encouraging despite difficult trading conditions. Demand is picking up across the majority of our routes and forward bookings for the summer have been very positive. 

“From all of the major operational challenges that we have faced this year – including snow and volcanic ash – the response from everyone at Virgin Atlantic has been outstanding.” 

Copyright © Press Association 2010

Dita Von Teese has given the Virgin Atlantic stewardesses a run for their money during a celebration of the airline’s 10-year transatlantic anniversary in Las Vegas.

The burlesque star frolicked with owner Sir Richard Branson in front of a specially named version of the siren that adorns every Virgin Atlantic plane after taking off from London Gatwick earlier in the day.

Burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese helps Sir Richard Branson celebrate 10 years of flights from London to Las Vegas

The showgirl dazzled photographers – and Sir Richard – in a red corset, trademark fishnet stockings and a pair of sky-high heels that she refused to remove in order to emulate the bespoke livery designed to mark 10 years of the company flying from London airports to Las Vegas.

Sir Richard looked every inch the playboy airline owner, sporting a classic American blue jeans and white shirt combination and a pair of Elvis-style sunglasses as he posed for the cameras at McCarran International Airport with Von Teese, even hoisting her on to his shoulders and holding her in his arms as she lay draped in a Union Jack flag.

Tweeting before the appearance, Dita, the former wife of rock star Marilyn Manson, wrote: ‘Headed out to Las Vegas today…Sir Richard is in charge, so I’m sure it’s going to be fun. Stay tuned!’

Virgin Atlantic launched its London to Las Vegas service in June 2000 and has since flown two million passengers in search of no-holds barred decadence to the Sin City.

Copyright Press Association 2010