Virgin Atlantic Airways
IATA VS	ICAO VIR	Callsign VIRGIN
Founded		1984
Hubs		London Heathrow Airport London Gatwick Airport
Focus cities		Manchester Airport
Frequent flyer program		Flying Club
Member lounge		Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse
Fleet size		38[1] (+27 orders)
Destinations		30
Parent company		Virgin Group
Headquarters		Crawley, England, United Kingdom
Key people		Richard Branson (President) Stephen Murphy (Chairman) Steve Ridgway (CEO)
Website: http://www.virgin-atlantic.com

Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator An airline hub is an Airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. In the Airline industry a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the A frequent flyer program (FFP is a Loyalty program offered by many Airlines. An airport lounge is a Lounge owned by a particular Airline (or jointly operated in the case of an alliance) A parent company is a Company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its Board of directors Virgin Group Ltd is a branded Venture capital conglomerate of separately run companies that each use the Virgin brand of British business tycoon Crawley ( is a town and Local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950 is an English Business magnate, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. Steve Ridgway is the Chief executive officer of Virgin Atlantic Airways. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator (operating as Virgin Atlantic) is a British airline which is owned by Richard Branson's Virgin Group (51%) and Singapore Airlines (49%). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950 is an English Business magnate, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies Virgin Group Ltd is a branded Venture capital conglomerate of separately run companies that each use the Virgin brand of British business tycoon Singapore Airlines Limited ( SIA) ( abbreviated zh 新航 Syarikat Penerbangan Singapura சிங்கப்பூர் ஏர்லைன்ஸ் ( is the It operates long-haul routes between the United Kingdom and North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia from its main bases at London Heathrow and London Gatwick. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. Virgin has a smaller base at Manchester Airport. Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the The company holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, which permits it to carry passengers, cargo, and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats. ^[2] Virgin Atlantic carried around 5. 1 million passengers and made an annual profit of £46. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency 8 million in 2007. ^[3]

History

Conception and birth

In 1982, Randolph Fields, an American-born lawyer, and Alan Hellary, a former chief pilot for Laker Airways, set up British Atlantic Airways as a direct successor to Laker Airways. Randolph Fields (born 29 December 1952 Santa Monica California died 24 February 1997 Jersey Channel Islands was an Anglo American lawyer who founded British Atlantic Airways which would Alan Hellary ( 29 August, 1923 &ndash 28 August, 1992) was a British pilot who co-founded British Atlantic Airways which would later become Laker Airways was a privately owned British airline founded by Sir Freddie Laker in 1966

Fields got the idea of setting up an airline flying from London to the Falkland Islands in June 1982, when the Falklands War had just finished and there was an apparent need for such a service. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Falklands War (Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur also called the Falklands Conflict/Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the ^[4] However, Fields needed more expertise and so contacted Alan Hellary, Laker Airways' former chief pilot, who had apparently thought about establishing a regular, commercial air service linking the UK and the Falkland Islands at the same time. Hellary was still in contact with many former colleagues who were out of work following the collapse of Laker Airways. These people continued working on the aforesaid idea.

Airbus A340-600

Unfortunately, the short runway at Port Stanley and the time it would take to improve it made the scheme unviable. Port Stanley Airport is a STOLport in the Falkland Islands, two miles outside the capital Stanley. Therefore, the idea of flying to the Falkland Islands was dropped. Instead, Hellary and Fields decided to try to secure a licence to fly from London Gatwick to JFK Airport in New York. Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 A three-day hearing was held in May 1983. However, their application was rejected after both British Caledonian and BAA objected. British Caledonian came into being in November 1970 when the Scottish Charter airline Caledonian Airways, at the time Britain 's second-largest BAA Limited is the owner and operator of seven British Airports and the operator of several other airports worldwide making the company one of the largest transport

Despite the failure of the two earlier schemes, Hellary and Fields persevered, applying for a licence to fly between London Gatwick and Newark Liberty International Airport, just outside New York. Newark Liberty International Airport, first named Newark Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international Airport within the New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous It was planned that British Atlantic Airways would use a 380-seat DC10 to fly to Newark. However, faced with the prospect of direct competition from People Express, a rapidly expanding post-deregulation "no frills" discount airline also based at Newark, they decided to secure additional funding before proceeding with their proposed new airline venture. PEOPLExpress Airlines, also known as People Express, was a US Deregulation, a term which gained widespread currency in the period 1970-2000 can be seen as a process by which governments remove reduce or simplify Restrictions on Business No-frills or no frills is a term used to describe any service or product for which the non-essential features have been removed

Fields met Richard Branson at a party in Central London during which he proposed a business partnership between Branson and himself to get his fledgling airline off the ground. Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950 is an English Business magnate, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies The term Central London refers to the districts of London England which are considered closest to the centre After protracted and testy negotiations, Fields agreed to a reduced stake of 25% in the airline (renamed Virgin Atlantic) and became Virgin Atlantic's first chairman. (Following a series of disagreements over operational issues, Fields later agreed to be bought out for an initial sum of £1 million with further payment due upon Virgin's first dividend payment. As a result of a High Court action, this additional payment was received shortly before Fields' death from cancer in 1997. Fields also obtained lifetime Upper Class flying privileges for his immediate family and his mother, one of British Atlantic's early backers).

On June 22, 1984 Virgin Atlantic operated its inaugural scheduled air service between London Gatwick and Newark Liberty using a single, leased Boeing 747-200 (G-VIRG) formerly operated by Aerolineas Argentinas. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Aerolíneas Argentinas is the largest domestic and international Airline in Argentina and serves as Argentina's Flag carrier. The airline became profitable during its first year of operation, aided by sister company Virgin Records' ability to finance the lease of a relatively inexpensive, second-hand Boeing 747. Virgin Records is a British Record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell The firm also timed the start of operations to take advantage of a full summer's season, which included the June to September peak season - by far the most profitable travel period of the year.

Formative years

In 1986, the airline added another Boeing 747 and started a second scheduled route from Gatwick to Miami. Miami International Airport is a public Airport located eight miles (13 km) northwest of the Central business district of Miami, in unincorporated Additional aircraft were acquired and further routes were launched from Gatwick to New York-JFK (1988), Tokyo (1989), Los Angeles (1990), Boston (1991), and Orlando (1992). is an international Airport located in Narita, Chiba, Japan, in the eastern portion of the Greater Tokyo Area. Los Angeles International Airport is the primary Airport serving Los Angeles, California, the second-most populated metropolitan area of In 1987 a service was launched between Luton and Dublin using Viscount turbo-prop aircraft, but this was withdrawn around 1990. London Luton Airport (previously called Luton International Airport) is an International airport located on the edge of the Town of Luton WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In 1988, Club Air operated two Boeing 727 aircraft on behalf of Virgin. They were leased from Eastern Airlines to also serve the Luton to Dublin route. London Luton Airport (previously called Luton International Airport) is an International airport located on the edge of the Town of Luton These were withdrawn around 1990 too.

Subsequent developments

Boeing 747-400 landing

In December 1999 Virgin Group sold 49% of the airline's holding company to Singapore Airlines for £600. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Virgin Group Ltd is a branded Venture capital conglomerate of separately run companies that each use the Virgin brand of British business tycoon Singapore Airlines Limited ( SIA) ( abbreviated zh 新航 Syarikat Penerbangan Singapura சிங்கப்பூர் ஏர்லைன்ஸ் ( is the 25 million. Virgin Group still owns the remaining 51%.

In August 2002, Virgin became the first airline to use the Airbus A340-600. Rolls-Royce Trent 500s power the Airbus A340-600s (though this is the only engine option for the type) and the Trent 900 will power Airbus A380s on order. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Virgin Atlantic carried 3. 8 million passengers in 2003. ^[5] This increased to 4. 6 million in 2006, placing them seventh amongst UK airlines by this measure, but a clear second in passenger-kilometres, because of the long-haul nature of Virgin's operations. ^[6]

During the 2012 Summer Olympics bids, Virgin Atlantic attached "London 2012" decals to the rear of many of its aircraft in support of London's bid. Nine cities submitting bids to host the 2012 Summer Olympics were recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC

Virgin volunteered one of its Boeing 747s for a test of biofuels in aviation. In February 2008, the aircraft flew from Heathrow to Amsterdam, with no passengers, and 20% of power for one engine was being provided by a plant-based biofuel, although the airline stated that it would expect to use biofuels based on algae in future. Algae ( sing. alga are a large and diverse group of simple typically Autotrophic organisms ranging from Unicellular to Multicellular forms ^[7]

Growing rivalry with British Airways

Virgin Atlantic has been a bitter rival of British Airways since its inception. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe ^[8]

Background to opening up Heathrow

In January 1991, the UK Government opened the door for Virgin to operate from London Heathrow Airport when it decided to abolish the so-called "London Air Traffic Distribution Rules" in response to growing pressure from the industry.

Virgin Atlantic's precarious financial position during the early 1990s

According to some industry insider reports, Virgin Atlantic was facing increasing financial problems at that time. This was primarily the result of a sharp reduction in demand for air travel caused by the recession of the early 1990s as well as by the public's heightened fear to travel in the aftermath of the first Gulf War. Britain's then Conservative Government, which had presided over the spectacular collapse of the International Leisure Group (ILG) and its wholly owned subsidiary Air Europe resulting in 4,000 job losses^[8] and was well aware that Dan-Air was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy during that time, was desperate to avoid the collapse of another prominent independent British airline, especially if its public profile was as high as Virgin Atlantic's. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Air Europe was a wholly privately owned independent British Airline, established in 1978 under the working title Inter European Airways. Dan-Air (Dan Air Services Limited is a defunct airline based in the United Kingdom. The Government was also conscious of the fact that many of these independent airlines' employees, whose jobs were threatened by the prevailing harsh economic climate at the time, lived in marginal Conservative constituencies. Therefore, the Government decided to let Virgin Atlantic into Heathrow by abolishing the "London Air Traffic Distribution Rules" despite facing mounting opposition from British Airways, whose senior management was exerting pressure on the Government to maintain the status quo. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe

Boeing 747-400 taking off

The "London Air Traffic Distribution Rules"

The "London Air Traffic Distribution Rules" came into effect on April 1, 1978 and were applied retroactively from the beginning of April 1977. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays These rules were designed to achieve a "fairer" distribution of traffic between London Heathrow and London Gatwick, the UK's two main international gateway airports. The policy was aimed at increasing Gatwick's utilisation to help the airport make a profit.

The "London Air Traffic Distribution Rules" stated that airlines that did not already operate an international scheduled air service from/to Heathrow prior to April 1, 1977 would not be permitted to commence operations at that airport. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Instead, they would have to use Gatwick for all their London-based operations. However, airlines that did not already operate at Heathrow prior to this law taking effect could still commence domestic scheduled services at the airport provided that the BAA, which ran both Heathrow and Gatwick on behalf of the Government, as well as the incumbent Secretary of State for Transport granted them permission to do so. In addition, the "London Air Traffic Distribution Rules" banned all new all-cargo as well as all charter flights from Heathrow as of 1 April, 1978. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne

BA's response

The decision to open up Heathrow to all newcomers - other than those governed by Bermuda II - angered BA's then chairman, Lord King, who stopped British Airways' donations to the Conservative Party, which was in power in Britain at the time, in protest. Bermuda II was a Bilateral Air Transport Agreement between the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States signed on July 23, John Leonard King Baron King of Wartnaby ( August 29, 1917 - July 12, 2005) was a businessman famous for leading British Airways from The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Lord King was furthermore angered by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority's subsequent decision to transfer two pairs of unused slots British Airways held at Tokyo's Narita International Airport to his archrival Virgin Atlantic to enable Virgin to increase its frequency between Heathrow and Tokyo from four to six weekly round-trips, thereby making it easier for Virgin to compete against British Airways in the highly lucrative business travel market. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. is an international Airport located in Narita, Chiba, Japan, in the eastern portion of the Greater Tokyo Area. Lord King called the CAA's decision to transfer these slots to one of his rivals, which the Government had endorsed, "a confiscation of his company's property".

"Dirty tricks"

The Government's decision to abolish the "London Air Traffic Distribution Rules" and to let a small, upstart airline like Virgin Atlantic commence operations at Heathrow in direct competition with British Airways then became the main trigger for BA's so-called "dirty tricks" campaign against Virgin.

In 1993 BA's PR director David Burnside published an article in "BA News", British Airways' internal staff magazine, which argued that Branson's protestations against British Airways were merely a publicity stunt. David Wilson Boyd Burnside MLA (born 24 August, 1951) is a Northern Ireland politician and was Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament Branson sued British Airways for libel. BA settled out of court when its lawyers unearthed evidence of the extraordinary lengths to which the company went to try to "kill off" Virgin. BA was faced with a legal bill of up to £3m, damages to Branson of £500,000 and a further £110,000 to his airline. Branson divided his £500,000 amongst his staff in the so-called "BA bonus", each receiving £166.

Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-300

In the 1990s, Virgin Atlantic jets were painted with the words "No-Way BA/AA" in opposition to the attempted merger between British Airways and American Airlines [2]. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size

In 1997, following British Airways' announcement that it was to remove the Union Flag from its tailfins in favour of world images, Virgin took advantage of the controversy provoked by introducing a union flag design on the winglets of its aircraft and changed the red dress on the "Scarlet Lady" on the nose of its aircraft to the union flag with the tag line "Britain's Flag Carrier". The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In 1997 British Airways adopted a new Livery. One part of this was a newly stylised version of the British Airways " Speedbird " Logo This was a "tongue-in-cheek" challenge to BA's traditional role as the UK's "flag carrier".

Relations with British Airways improved considerably with the arrival of Rod Eddington as BA CEO though the rivalry between the two airlines continued. Sir Roderick Ian Eddington (born 1950 Perth, Western Australia) is an Australian businessman Eddington replaced Robert Ayling, a key player in the "dirty tricks" affair who was dismissed by Lord Marshall, the long-serving BA chairman and Mr. Bob Ayling is a British businessman who has been involved in many high profile companies and organisations Colin Marsh Marshall Baron Marshall of Knightsbridge (born 16 November 1933) is a British Businessman and member of the House of Lords Ayling's chief mentor, on behalf of BA's main institutional shareholders after BA had suffered its first net loss since privatisation on Mr. Ayling's watch during its 1999/2000 financial year. A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is a period used for calculating annual ("yearly" Financial statements in Businesses

In June 2006, a tip-off from Virgin Atlantic led US and UK competition authorities to investigate alleged price-fixing between Virgin Atlantic and British Airways. In August 2007, BA was fined a total of £271 million by the UK's Office of Fair Trading and the US Department of Justice over the allegations. The Office of Fair Trading ( OFT) is a Non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, For animal rights group see Justice Department (JD The United States Department of Justice ( DOJ) is a Cabinet department Virgin Atlantic was not fined for its involvement in the price fixing as it was given immunity for reporting the cartel to regulators.

Destinations

Main article: Virgin Atlantic destinations

Nearly 75% of Virgin's flights operate from London Heathrow, with the remainder operating from London Gatwick. This is a list of destinations served by Virgin Atlantic Airways Africa Kenya Nairobi ( Jomo Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. There are some services from Manchester Airport and one flight from Glasgow International Airport. Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the

Fleet

Virgin Atlantic's fleet is composed of both Airbus and Boeing aircraft with an average age of 6. 7 years as of March 2008. ^[9] Boeing 747-400s are used on all routes from Gatwick and Manchester. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Boeing 747s and Airbus A340s are used interchangeably on routes from Heathrow.

In addition to having some Airbus A340-600 aircraft still on order, Virgin Atlantic also has both Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A380-800 aircraft on order that will be delivered beginning in 2011 and 2013, respectively. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Originally, the A380 was expected to enter service in 2006 but was delayed until 2009 because of problems within Airbus. Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing Virgin then deferred its order to 2013, arguing that it wanted the aircraft to prove itself before it put its own A380s into operation. ^[10]

Airbus A340 in maintenance

The 787 order was announced on April 24, 2007, and it included an order of fifteen 787-9s with options on eight more and purchase rights on twenty more. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The aircraft will replace Virgin’s older A340-300s and will enable network growth. ^[11] Virgin has listed Rio de Janeiro, Seattle, Vancouver, Bangkok, and Melbourne as possible new destinations for the aircraft, while also stating that the 787’s long range would make non-stop operations from London to Perth, Australia and Honolulu, Hawaii economically viable for the first time in the airline’s history. Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. Honolulu is the Capital and most populous Census-designated place (CDP in the U ^[12] Virgin is also in negotiations with both Boeing and Airbus over an order for ten high-capacity, fuel-efficient, long-haul, widebodied jets for the airline's Gatwick-based fleet. The Boeing Company is a major Aerospace and defense corporation originally founded by William E Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing This could potentially be either a new order for the Boeing 747-8 or an order for additional Airbus A380-800s. The Boeing 747-8 is the latest variant of the Boeing 747, officially announced in 2005 The decision is expected in May 2008. Deliveries of the new fleet are to begin in 2012, in time for the 2012 London Olympics. ^[13]

Boeing 747-400 Lady Penelope special paint scheme. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Scarlet Lady has been moved to the back of the aircraft

Virgin’s aircraft are painted in a mainly red and silver livery that was introduced in October 2006 with the delivery of G-VRED, and will eventually adorn the entire fleet. Near the nose of each aircraft is a pinup girl motif designed by British artist Ken White, called a “Scarlet Lady”. A pin-up girl or pin-up model is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as Pop culture. White modeled the motif on the iconic World War II era pin-up girls of Alberto Vargas—hence the namimg of one of the fleet as Varga Girl. Alberto Vargas ( 9 February 1896 &ndash 30 December 1982) was a noted painter of Pin-up girls and Erotica. The motif was updated with the addition of the 1999 Silver livery. Each one carries a Union Flag and has a unique name. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The names are usually feminine, such as Ladybird, Island Lady and Ruby Tuesday, but are sometimes named after destinations. A notable exception is The Spirit of Sir Freddie. It was named in honour of Freddie Laker of the defunct Laker Airways, who helped get Virgin Atlantic up and running following the demise of his own airline. Sir Frederick Alfred Laker ( 6 August, 1922 &ndash 9 February, 2006) was a British Airline Entrepreneur, best Laker Airways was a privately owned British airline founded by Sir Freddie Laker in 1966 G-VFAB, Lady Penelope, gained a special edition livery to celebrate Virgin Atlantic’s 21st birthday. The Scarlet Lady was moved to the rear of the aircraft, a Boeing 747-400, and the aircraft was temporarily renamed Birthday Girl.

On September 27, 2006, Richard Branson, on behalf of Virgin Atlantic Airways, announced plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by cutting down on aircraft weight and fuel consumption. Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950 is an English Business magnate, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies There was also an experiment to have aircraft towed to the runway to save fuel, but this has not resulted in a change of operational procedures. ^[14]

Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600 G-VYOU Emmeline Heaney

Two Virgin Atlantic aircraft are featured briefly in the James Bond film, Casino Royale. Casino Royale ( 2006) is the twenty-first film in the James Bond series; it is directed by Martin Campbell and the first to star One Airbus A340-600 (G-VWIN) and one Boeing 747-400-along with Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic crew—are part of a scene at Miami International Airport (although the sequence was filmed at Ruzyně International Airport in Prague). Miami International Airport is a public Airport located eight miles (13 km) northwest of the Central business district of Miami, in unincorporated Ruzyně Airport serves Prague, Czech Republic. Located 10 km from the city centre the airport is a hub for Czech Airlines. Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. ^[15]

In November 2007, the Spice Girls announced that Virgin Atlantic would be the airline partner for The Return of the Spice Girls world tour. The Spice Girls are a BRIT Award -winning English pop Girl group formed in 1994 The Return of the Spice Girls was a Spice Girls Concert tour that visited five countries and commenced on December 2, 2007 in Vancouver A promotional plane-naming competition was held to name the Boeing 747-400 aircraft that the Spice Girls would travel on. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In December 2007, G-VFAB was renamed Spice One.

Current

Virgin Atlantic’s fleet consists of the following aircraft as of August 2007:

Retired

In the past, Virgin Atlantic has operated a variety of aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Its retired fleet consists of:

Cabin

All Virgin Atlantic aircraft are in a three-class configuration with Economy, Premium Economy, and Upper Class cabins. Club Air is an Airline based in Verona, Italy operating domestic flights and international flights to Albania, France, Moldova WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout AirUK Leisure was a charter Airline created in 1987 as a subsidiary of AirUK. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Martinair is an Airline based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It operates passenger and cargo services to over 50 destinations worldwide WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Premium Economy is a Travel class offered on some Airlines taking one of two forms a simple upgrade to the Economy class provided

Economy

Economy is the standard coach class of Virgin Atlantic and has fairly standard amenities for a Legacy carrier, such as free meals and drinks and a free amenity kit. Referring to the airline industry a " Legacy Carrier " is an airline revolving around a hub & spoke network and a corporate structure Seats have a maximum seat pitch of 81 cm (depending on the aircraft type). Airline seats are Chairs on an Airliner in which passengers are accommodated for the duration of the journey A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth In addition, updated economy seats have adjustable lumbar support, and are currently being installed across Virgin Atlantic’s fleet.

Premium Economy

Premium Economy has a separate check-in area, priority boarding ahead of Economy passengers, a wider seat with more legroom than Economy, and additional cabin services such a preflight drink and dedicated cabin crew. As with Economy, in November 2006, Virgin launched an updated product with a wider seat that also supplies laptop power. It is being continually rolled out across the fleet starting with Heathrow-based A340 aircraft. As of April 2008 all A340s have the new product. The 747s based at Heathrow completed their refit by December 2007 and have an updated configuration of 62 seats all located downstairs. ^[17]

Upper Class

Upper Class is the equivalent of business class on all Virgin Atlantic Airways’ flights. Business class (also known as executive class or upper class is a high quality second-tier Travel class available on some commercial Airlines and rail lines Virgin does not offer a traditional First Class cabin service and Upper Class is denoted by the International Standard of Service class code J, meaning “Premium Business Class”. First class is a luxury Travel class on some airliners that exceeds "Business Class" "Premium Economy Class" and "Economy Class" ^[18] The Upper Class seat is claimed by the airline to be the biggest fully flat bed compared with any other airline’s business class service (it is approximately 202 cm long and 84 cm wide), however Singapore Airlines has made a similar claim. Singapore Airlines Limited ( SIA) ( abbreviated zh 新航 Syarikat Penerbangan Singapura சிங்கப்பூர் ஏர்லைன்ஸ் ( is the ^[19] The seat offers in-seat laptop power and power leads for iPods and Upper Class passengers have access to a chauffeur, drive thru check-in and private security channel (at some airports), the clubhouse (lounge), a larger menu than that of Premium Economy and Economy passengers and an in-flight bar. iPod is a popular brand of Portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Inc A chauffeur is an individual who operates any self-propelled vehicle ( Automobile) for a profession. An airport lounge is a Lounge owned by a particular Airline (or jointly operated in the case of an alliance)

In-flight entertainment

All Virgin Atlantic aircraft offer personal seat-back televisions that provide various entertainment channels. Certain aircraft (some 747-400s, one A340-300–G-VSUN–, and all A340-600s) have an Audio/Video on Demand (AVOD) system called V:Port. Older "Odyssey" and "Nova" IFE systems can be found on various aircraft in the fleet. In-Flight entertainment ( IFE) refers to the entertainment available to aircraft passengers during a flight These have smaller screens and are constantly broadcasting audio and video on a loop rather than broadcasting on demand.

Incidents and accidents

Airbus 340-600 at Tokyo-Narita

• On 5 November, 1997, after numerous attempts to shake free the jammed main landing gear of an Airbus A340-300 G-VSKY failed, the aircraft made an emergency landing at London Heathrow Airport. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) The aircraft and the runway were damaged as the landing gear collapsed. The aircraft was evacuated safely causing only minor injuries.

• On 8 February, 2005, onboard an Airbus A340-600 aircraft (G-VATL) en route from Hong Kong to London, the fuel control computer system caused a loss of automatic fuel transfer between tanks. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. The left outboard engine lost power, and shortly after the right outboard engine also began to falter until the crew began crossfeeding fuel manually. The crew diverted to Amsterdam, where a safe landing was made. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the Netherlands ' main Airport, located 20 minutes (17 The interim accident report made 4 safety recommendations addressed to the primary certification bodies for large transport category aircraft (EASA and the FAA), advising on the need for a low fuel warning system for large aircraft. European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA is an agency of the European Union (EU with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given specific regulatory The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of ^[20]

Slogans

Over the years, Virgin has used many slogans, including:

• "Mine's Bigger Than Yours"

Written on the back of the Airbus A340-600s because they are the longest passenger aircraft in the world

• "4 Engines 4 Longhaul"

Originally an Airbus slogan when newer versions of the A340 were built until Virgin inherited the slogan. These were written on the engines of planes, because all Virgin's planes at the time were quad-jets as opposed to BA's long haul twin-jet Boeing 777s and Boeing 767s. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The slogan was removed in 2006 because it "had run its course and it was time to move on"—Virgin would later order Boeing 787 twin-jet aircrafts in 2007. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

• "Avoid The Q"

Used to advertise Virgin's London to Hong Kong to Sydney service. Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. Sydney Airport (also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport), is located in the Sydney suburb of Mascot. The Q is a double entendre, referring to both queues (with Virgin's online check-in feature) and Qantas, which also operates the same route. Queue areas are places in which people in line ( First-come first-served) wait for goods or services Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia.

• "Keep Discovering - Until You Find The Best"

Used to promote the London to Dubai service, playing with rival airline Emirates' slogan 'Keep Discovering'

• "BA can't keep it [Concorde] up!"

Written on the back of G-VFOX during June and July of 2003 after British Airways announced it would retire Concorde the following October. Dubai International Airport (مطار دبي الدولي is an international Airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates Emirates Airline (shortened form Emirates) ( Arabic: طيران الإمارات Tayarān al-Imārāt) is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

• "No Way BA/AA"

Used in the late 1990s on several 747-400s to express Branson's displeasure with the proposed British Airways/American Airlines partnership. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size BA/AA combined held 100% market share on several US-UK routes (e. g. Dallas-Fort Worth to London), and a market share of more than 50% in several more (e. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. g. Chicago to London, JFK to London). London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

Others Include: "More experience than the name suggests," "Virgin, seeks travel companion(s)," "Love at first flight," "You never forget your first time," "Extra inches where it counts," "Fly a younger fleet," "One call does it all," "Hello gorgeous", "We're better by four" and, in a campaign featuring Austin Powers, "There's only one Virgin on this T-shirt (or bus, etc. Sir Austin Danger Powers, KBE, is a Fictional character from the Austin Powers series of films ) baby," and "Twice a day to London" in which Austin Powers is seen riding on the fuselage of a Virgin Atlantic 747. During that time G-VTOP was temporarily named "Austin Powered".

Further reading

• Gregory, Martyn. Dirty Tricks: British Airways' Secret War Against Virgin Atlantic. New York: Virgin, 2000. ISBN 0-7535-0458-8
• Bower, Tom. Branson. UK: Fourth Estate, 2001 ISBN 1-84115-400-8
• Branson, Richard (2006 [2nd reprint]). Losing my Virginity - The Autobiography. Virgin Books Ltd. . ISBN 0-7535-1020-0.  

See also

• Virgin America
• Virgin Blue
• Virgin Express
• Virgin Galactic
• Virgin Nigeria Airways
• Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer
• V Australia

References

External links

• Virgin Atlantic Airways - Official website
• V-Flyer customer-created site
• Virgin Atlantic Airways Fleet Age
• Virgin Atlantic Fleet Detail
• Photos of Virgin Atlantic Airways aircraft