by Mimi Kmet
Last updated: 5:21 PM ET, Fri June 21, 2019
Virgin Atlantic Airway's launch of nonstop service between Los Angeles and Manchester in May is part of a "huge growth plan" for 2019, said Yuli Thompson, the carrier's vice president, North America.
That plan also includes an increase in summer-season Manchester-Boston service to three times a week and a doubling of flights between the Northern U.K. city and Las Vegas to four times a week. In total, the airline now offers as many as 14,000 seats a week directly from Manchester to the United States and the Caribbean.
"We believe there's a growing demand from the U.S., and we want to capitalize on that," Thompson said.
The MAN-LAX flights will operate through Oct. 25 (Virgin Atlantic has discontinued its Manchester-San Francisco service), using a 259-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft. If bookings go well, the airline will consider increasing the number of flights on the route or extending it to year-round service, Thompson said.
Virgin Atlantic chose the route in part because of parallels between the two cities, according to Thompson. "From the Los Angeles perspective, Manchester is a very vibrant city and a technological hub, akin to L.A.," she said. "Manchester and Los Angeles are breeding grounds for innovation."
Both business and leisure travelers have been booking this route, and Virgin Atlantic is working with Visit Manchester to promote the destination, she added. For example, the carrier featured chefs, mixologists and artists from both cities at a recent event kicking off the new service. Museums, galleries, live music, historic tours and sports also attract visitors.
In addition, Manchester is the gateway to the northern part of the U.K., within a two-hour drive of Liverpool, the Lake District and other tourist areas.
The L.A.-Manchester service operates on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing LAX at 6:30 p.m. and arriving at MAN at 12:55 p.m. the following day
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