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Virgin Atlantic Cargo Welcomes A350 Capacity Boost
[ August 30, 2016 // Gary G Burrows ]Virgin Atlantic’s new US$4.4 billion order for 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft will mark the arrival of the most capable cargo aircraft in its fleet.
The airline, which announced the order at the Farnborough International Airshow 2016, says the investment demonstrates the strength of the Virgin Atlantic commitment to customer experience as it continues to focus on delivering sustained profit in the long term. It is part of a fleet modernization program that will see 50% of Virgin Atlantic’s aircraft replaced in a six year period – creating one of the world’s youngest fleets.
As well as promising to make long-haul travel more enjoyable for passengers, the A350-1000 is designed to be 30% more fuel and carbon efficient than the aircraft it replaces in the airline’s fleet and is expected to reduce the airline’s noise footprint at airports by more than half. For Virgin Atlantic Cargo, it will also deliver a significant improvement in lower deck cargo capacity of between 10% and 22% depending on configuration. In
The A350-1000 will replace Virgin Atlantic’s remaining Boeing 747-400s and Airbus A340-600s and will operate on both business and leisure routes worldwide. Initially the aircraft will fly to key U.S. destinations from London Heathrow.
Today, Virgin Atlantic flies to over 30 destinations worldwide, including locations across the United States, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It currently has 39 aircraft in its fleet with 13 787-9s, 10 A330-300s, 8 A340-600s, and 8 747-400s.
Tags: Virgin Atlantic Cargo