"We’ve got a lot in store": Virgin Atlantic launches Toronto-London (Heathrow) route

Virgin Atlantic has officially returned to Canada after a decade of not flying to the country.

The airline launched its new non-stop flight between London Heathrow and Toronto Pearson Sunday night (March 30) with a “Dream Jeannie” 787-9 Dreamliner.

The arrival marks the beginning of daily service connecting Canadians across the country to London and beyond destinations such as India.

“This week is all about Virgin Atlantic here in Toronto,” wrote Stephen Goulding, Virgin Atlantic’s country manager for Canada, on his LinkedIn page.

The U.K. airline will have a ceremonial flight arrival on Thursday (April 3) with a special guest arriving (word on the street is that Sir Richard Branson, co-founder of the Virgin Group, will be in town), along with other special events with key clients, operation partners, media, friends and the Virgin Atlantic family.

READ MORE: Virgin Atlantic expands codeshare with WestJet, strengthening Canada-UK connectivity

“This has been an incredible amount of preparation, planning and execution,” Goulding wrote. “I have had the pleasure of working alongside and witnessing some of the most talented people in the industry launch the YYZ route.”

“The professionalism, execution and overall excitement to provide our guest with the safest most enjoyable Virgin Atlantic experience has been inspiring. Thank you is just not enough,” Goulding said.

Codeshare with WestJet

Virgin Atlantic and WestJet have also expanded their codeshare agreement, strengthening connections from Canada to the United Kingdom and beyond.

The first phase of the agreement will allow Canadian customers booking through Virgin Atlantic to seamlessly connect from their preferred city on a WestJet flight via Toronto Pearson onwards to London with Virgin Atlantic on one ticket.

Cities include Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and more. 

Loyalty partnership program benefits across both Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and WestJet Rewards are expected to roll out later in the year.

"Something different"

The U.K.-based airline’s last appearance in Canada was more than ten years ago, in 2014, when it flew out of Vancouver.

“We see an area of opportunity to bring our premium, personalized service to Canadian customers and give them something different,” said Simon Hawkins, head of the Americas at Virgin Atlantic, speaking to PAX last year.

What’s changed at Virgin Atlantic over the past decade?

Read more: “Something different”: Virgin Atlantic reveals its plans for Canada

“Our spirit of innovation has remained strong since Sir Richard Branson founded the airline 40 years ago, and we’re pleased to bring our latest product, the A330-900neo, to this new route,” Hawkins said.

“This state-of-the-art aircraft dovetails with Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to flying the cleanest, greenest fleet in the sky. From wingtip to tailfin, we’ve used inspiration and innovation to make this aircraft brilliant on every level. From a brand-new social space and wireless charging, even more storage and stylish design touches, through to a huge 11 per cent less fuel burn and carbon emission.”

“We hope Canadians will be pleased to find our amazing people have remained consistent. They’re the red thread that drive everything we do.”

In his recent online post, Goulding suggested that there's more to come from Virgin Atlantic. 

"We’ve got a lot in store to grow the business here in Canada so stay tuned," he wrote.

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