As part of its expansion plans, Virgin Atlantic will begin the sale of its non-stop flights between London-Heathrow and Sao Paulo-Guarulhos from September 6, 2023. This new route marks an important milestone in the British airline’s history as its first direct connection to South America. In addition to strong O&D demand between the UK and Brazil, Virgin Atlantic’s new service will bring new opportunities to the cargo market. The carrier expects to move multiple tons of automotive parts, pharmaceuticals, food and agricultural products, contributing to £7.7 billion in annual trade between the two nations.
São Paulo-Guarulhos is the main hub for LATAM Airlines, Virgin Atlantic’s codeshare partner. The partnership will give customers access to more than 50 destinations in South America, including Rio de Janeiro, Salvador da Bahia and Florianopolis. Passengers will have a new option to fly to Argentina via Aerolineas Argentinas services between Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires.
“The countdown to our long-awaited arrival in Sao Paulo has officially begun. It is fitting that our 40th anniversary brings our entry into a new continent in South America, symbolizing a continued period of growth for the Virgin Atlantic network. Sao Paulo is the perfect city for us, a metropolis full of culture and adventure that suits the diverse needs of our rich customer base,” said Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Commercial Officer.
Scheduled flights between Sao Paulo and London
Starts May 13, 2024.
- London – Sao Paulo Flight VS 193 LHR 12:45 – GRU 20:20 daily flights.
- Sao Paulo – London Flight VS 194 GRU 22:10 – LHR 13:25+1 daily flights.
The route will be operated on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with a capacity of 258 seats in three classes (31 Upper Class/35 Premium Economy/192 Economy) and promotional fares are available from GBP 686. Customers flying from Sao Paulo to London Heathrow have the option of connecting through Terminal 3 to destinations such as Tel Aviv, Delhi, Mumbai and Shanghai.
According to data obtained by Aviacionline through the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), 450,794 passengers were mobilized in 2019 between London and São Paulo. Currently, the airlines operating in this segment are British Airways, which offers a daily service in Airbus A350-1000 and LATAM Airlines, which offers daily flights operated in Boeing 777-300ER.
Source: AVIACIONLINE