Virgin Atlantic has not operated any passenger flights to Hong Kong since December 2021, after the city-state suspended all flights from the UK due to a resurgence of Covid-19 cases.
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British airline Virgin Atlantic announced on Wednesday that it will permanently cease operations in Hong Kong due to issues related to the closure of Russian airspace.
The decision marks the end of the London Heathrow to Hong Kong flight route and the closure of its Hong Kong office. It also ends the airline’s 30-year presence in the Asian financial hub.
Virgin Atlantic said in a statement that the closure of Russian airspace following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in late February was one of several “complexities” that contributed to the decision.
He said that given the airspace remained closed, flight times from Heathrow to London would be around an hour longer than in 2019, while flights from Hong Kong to Heathrow would be 1 hour 50 minutes longer.
He added that the 2019 termination of Virgin Australia’s Hong Kong to Melbourne and Hong Kong to Sydney services had already reduced the airline’s presence in the city-state.
“After careful consideration, we have taken the difficult decision to suspend our London Heathrow – Hong Kong services and close our Hong Kong office, after almost 30 years of proudly serving this central Asian city,” said a airline spokesperson.
“Significant operational complexities due to the ongoing closure of Russian airspace have contributed to the commercial decision not to resume flights in March 2023 as planned, which have already been halted since December 2021,” added.
Virgin Atlantic has not operated any passenger flights to Hong Kong since December 2021, after the city-state suspended all flights from the UK due to a resurgence of Covid-19 cases.
The airline was previously due to resume Hong Kong services from March 2023. However, with Wednesday’s announcement, it said it could increase services to other key markets from next summer.
Around 46 jobs at Virgin Atlantic, including office staff and cabin crew, will be affected by the decision, according to Bloomberg.
The airline said it will offer refunds or vouchers for alternative Virgin Atlantic services to a “limited number” of customers traveling from March next year.
Virgin’s departure from Hong Kong is the first by a major airline since American Airlines left the city in late 2021.
