Virgin Atlantic Cargo is launching a new cargo service from London Heathrow to San Juan.
Commencing on the 24 November, it is the first time that the airline has operated cargo flights to Puerto Rico and it will serve the destination twice weekly on a Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
This service will present new opportunities for companies looking to export and import goods such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices and electronic devices between prime markets in the UK and Europe and Puerto Rico.
Dominic Kennedy, Managing Director at Virgin Atlantic Cargo, said: “We are delighted to welcome San Juan to our network, and we are excited about the new growth opportunities this presents for our customers.
“Over 11m kilos [11,000 tonnes] of cargo move between Puerto Rico and Europe each month and we are confident Virgin Atlantic Cargo will gain a healthy share of this market.”
“Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Virgin Atlantic Cargo has played a vital role keeping global supply chains running and transporting essential goods around the world. We are continually innovating, bringing in new destinations in line with demand to expand our cargo only offering.”
Although the UK government restrictions on travel may mean that passenger flying has decreased this month, Virgin Atlantic’s cargo business continues to go from strength to strength.
The airline is set to fly over 800 sectors in November – nearly 60 per cent are cargo only. This represents a 14% increase in cargo only flying month on month, highlighting the airline’s quick reaction to a rapidly changing external environment.
This month Virgin Atlantic Cargo has increased its capacity on key routes to ensure the continued supply of vital goods across the globe. Increased services will operate to Shanghai, Hong Kong and to the US, with key schedule updates below:
- LHR/JFK service to operate 3 times daily
- LAX service to include an additional flight, now operating 10 flights each week
- LHR/HKG service increase to 10 flights a week
- LHR/JNB service to increase to 6 rotations per week
The airline also continues to transport cargo to Antigua, Atlanta, Barbados, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Delhi, Dublin, Lagos, Miami, Milan, MBJ, Mumbai, Shanghai and Tel Aviv.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s charter service continues to be in demand from customers worldwide. Since the airline operated its first cargo only service in March, it has gone on to fly over 330 cargo only charters.
