Virgin Atlantic has announced the launch of flights between London Heathrow and São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport, Brazil, next year.
Starting on May 13 2024, the 11hr and 55min flight will operate on a Boeing 787 aircraft daily and will be Virgin’s first ever route to the South American continent.
Next spring it will also add flights to Bengaluru (Bangalore), its third destination and fourth daily service to India.
The announcements come just days after Virgin confirmed the resumption of flights to Dubai later this year and the launch of flights from Manchester to Las Vegas in 2024.
Flights to Bengaluru will operate on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from March 31 2024, boasting 31 Upper Class, 35 Premium and 192 Economy Delight, Classic and Light seats, as well as the airline’s signature Upper Class social space.
Bengaluru is a fast-growing tech hub and one of the largest corporate markets in India.
Since 2019, Virgin has increased capacity to India by 250%, its largest area of growth outside the US, and has a growing codeshare agreement with IndiGo flies to 34 destinations across the country.
As part of its codeshare agreement with LATAM, passengers on the new São Paulo service will also be able to connect onwards onto 12 domestic airports in Brazil including Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Florianopolis.
Customers travelling from São Paulo to London Heathrow can also connect onto Virgin’s rest of world destinations through Terminal 3, including Tel Aviv, Delhi and Shanghai.
Flying Club members and LATAM Pass loyalty members can earn miles on Virgin Atlantic and LATAM. The redemption opportunity will be implemented during 2023 ahead of the route launch.
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: “Flying to São Paulo, Brazil represents so much more than just a new route. It’s the gateway to South America and signifies exciting new growth for Virgin Atlantic.
“After our plans to launch a route to São Paulo were scuppered by the pandemic, we’re so excited to be able to finally provide our customers with an opportunity to explore a fantastic new continent that is buzzing with adventure.”
To mark the launch of the route, Virgin has today released a reimagined samba-style safety video starring Strictly Come Dancing stars AJ Pritchard and Anton Du Beke along with Brazilian model and actress Juliana Paes.
