Virgin Atlantic to strengthen connectivity for Indians

The new schedule would connect Delhi, Mumbai with Manchester and Scotland via London Heathrow, a spokesperson said, adding that the airline would add 24 domestic flights a day within the United Kingdom.

Virgin would focus its operations on flights to and from Scotland and from April, the airline would operate six round- trip flights a day between Heathrow and Edinburgh, with three daily round-trip flights between Heathrow and Aberdeen.

Passengers from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Punjab would connect to the airline's domestic services within less than two hours of arriving at London, the spokesperson said, adding that they would also benefit from an equally convenient return journey.

The airline would take up nine of the twelve daily pairs of Heathrow slots which British Airways has to give up to ensure that consumers again have an alternative on key routes, the spokesperson said, adding "the new schedule will suit Indian passengers as they can now continue to travel within the UK" on Virgin.

Over the last two years, Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic has brought new competition to British Airways between London and Vancouver, Accra, Cancun and Mumbai.

The new flights within the UK would strengthen the connectivity Virgin offers from Delhi and Mumbai, including the existing connections to the US.