Virgin Atlantic to launch Man-San Fran flights

Virgin Atlantic has announced two new direct routes to San Francisco and Boston from Manchester Airport. Both routes will be operated in conjunction with joint venture partner Delta Air Lines.

Operating three times a week from summer 2017, Virgin Atlantic’s Manchester-San Francisco flights will be the first between the two cities.

The new route to Boston in New England will fly twice weekly, also starting summer 2017.

Both new services will operate on one of the airline’s newest A330 aircraft.

In addition to the new US routes, Virgin Atlantic will increase its frequency to Barbados.

Erik Varwijk, executive vice president of commercial at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer our customers these two new direct flights to the USA from Manchester Airport. In addition to our current services to Atlanta, Las Vegas, Orlando and Barbados, the new routes to San Francisco and Boston really open up America for our customers. This year marks 20 years of our first ever flight from Manchester and we’ll continue to look for opportunities to offer our unique experience on routes where our customers are looking to fly.”

Virgin Atlantic and partner Delta Air Lines also fly from Manchester directly to New York JFK. Delta’s extensive domestic network in the US gives customers the ability to connect to over 200 destinations in the States.

Manchester Airport managing director Ken O’Toole said: “Securing the first ever direct flight between Manchester and San Francisco is a significant moment for a number of reasons.

“Firstly, it gives the 22m passengers living within two hours of Manchester Airport yet another great long haul destination to choose from and it is sure to prove popular with leisure travellers.

“Secondly, it will deliver a real boost to the North’s economy by providing a direct link to the world’s leading location for tech and biomedical start-ups, which is now home to some of the biggest brands on the planet, like Google, Twitter and Uber.”