Virgin Atlantic has just announced plans to launch a seasonal route, which will be the carrier’s shortest service. However, if you’re a passenger, you’re out of luck…
In this post:
Virgin Atlantic adds London to Brussels cargo flights
For the upcoming winter season, Virgin Atlantic plans to operate dedicated cargo flights between London (LHR) and Brussels (BRU). The 218-mile flight will operate between October 27, 2024, and March 29, 2025, on a mix of Airbus A330-300s and Airbus A350-1000s.
The aim of the service is reportedly to transport time-critical goods, such as perishables and pharmaceuticals, which are today primarily transported between the two areas by truck service. These flights will offer cargo capacity of up to 50 tons, offering companies the opportunity to export and import goods between Europe and markets in the UK and across Virgin Atlantic’s network, with fast air connectivity.
Here’s how Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Commercial Officer, describes this addition:
“During the winter period, we will operate services to Brussels, a destination we are familiar with having flown there successfully during the Covid-19 pandemic. This new service will transport a range of goods including perishables and pharmaceuticals, offering fast connections for our customers between Brussels and the wider European region and Virgin Atlantic’s extensive route network via London Heathrow.”
What’s Virgin Atlantic’s real motivation for this route?
Aside from a brief period during the pandemic, Virgin Atlantic isn’t really in the business of operating exclusive freighter services without passengers.
For that matter, it’s hard to make money operating dedicated cargo flights with passenger aircraft, especially if you’re not removing seats from the cabin (which I can’t imagine the airline will do, given the limited number of frequencies operating as part of this service).
For time-critical goods, you’d think that the existing services between the airports would do the trick, given the number of daily passenger flights that exist between the two airports. For that matter, if the demand were so huge, you’d think British Airways would just upgrade its narrow body flights to wide body aircraft, so it can transport both passengers and substantial cargo.
That raises the question… is there more to this? Is this ridiculously short flight really lucrative enough to make Virgin Atlantic get into the freighter business for the winter season?
The only thing I can come up with is wondering if this might be some sort of a method for Virgin Atlantic to use its slots during the winter season, when demand for air travel is typically a bit lower. Heathrow is slot-controlled, and operates under a “use it or lose it” arrangement, where slots can be taken away if not used.
In the past we’ve seen airlines sometimes operate “ghost” flights, which are just very short flights with no passengers or cargo, in order to technically use slots. This latest cargo service sure seems to me like a method to use up slots, especially given the timing of this service. It’s also possible I’m reading too much into this.
Bottom line
Virgin Atlantic’s newest route is between London and Brussels, and will exclusively operate in the winter season. This is exclusively a cargo service, which we don’t otherwise see Virgin Atlantic do a whole lot of. Flying such big planes on such short routes sure seems to me like a way to use up slots, so I wonder if that’s the motivation, or if there’s something I’m missing.
What do you make of Virgin Atlantic’s dedicated cargo flights to Brussels?
It’s the last flight from LHR-PVG today so VS no longer have any Far Eastern services and another slot pair will need filling.
Brexit Ffffed the ports up so what used to be a a simple ferry or shuttle journey is now tortuous and unpredictable. Sadly this makes sense for high value, time critical freight.
Why not carry passengers as well though? Would the cost of cabin crew be higher than eventual revenue from fares? This would be a fun flight for avgeeks + possibly useful for connections to wider VS network.
Depends how much extra it would cost them to run passengers on it as they would have to staff if the same as a long haul
They're protecting their LHR slots. I'm curious about those short cargo contracts.
My wonder is why they don't instead utilize the aircraft for other seasonal Southern Hemisphere destinations, or top up JNB or CPT for example.
More confusion from the 40-year old underdog
I think you answered your own question in the form of a blog post. They are clearly looking to game the slot but also at least find something useful in doing so.
It’s a pity they don’t lend aircraft to BA which seems to have loads of aircraft problems and has cancelled routes such as LHR to KUL until next April
UHH. VS loaning aircraft to BA? Really?
Interesting... I remember being surprised to see a VS A35K take off late morning from Boston on Monday. It arrived close to midnight the night before and took off before noon the next day. Very strange timing for TATL flights. Anyone know anything about that flight?
The New England Patriots played in London on Sunday. It was almost certainly their charter flight.
Maybe to keep the LHR slot after PVG gone and YYZ hasn't started yet?
If Virgin is highly cyclical, the difference in the number of aircraft it flies during low season versus high season might be substantial. And, the difference in the number of flight crews it needs during low season versus high season might be substantial. Does Virgin furlough unionized pilots in low season and risk a strike? Or, is running cargo (which might not be great) the better choice? Just a thought. And, without PAX, no EU PAX regulations.
Please VS, sell pax seats for these flights, would be great to fly a wide-body on this route.
Cargo only would not have to comply with the EU passenger rights rules. I'm not certain Virgin wants to go there.
They still have to comply with UK passenger rights rules for their existing passenger flights, which are largely identical to EU rules and have not been materially altered since the UK’s departure.
Seems a bit pointless, there are nine trains a day between Brussels and London, make more sense to use those.
These trains have no capacity to carry freight.
VS might have a few spare aircraft and slots to use as you suggested during the winter period. Looking at their W24/25 schedule seems MAN is reducing services and the BOS and SFO routes reduced as well.
https://www.virginatlanticcargo.com/content/dam/cargo/pdf/FLIGHTSCHEDULE.pdf
Maybe they got some temporary contract... but this is 100% a slot squatting move to preserve their slots at LHR rather than operate a more expensive, loss-making long haul route. United has in the past operated flights such as this in the winter from LHR to BRU and maybe somewhere else to preserve their slots. It's 100% just because they have no better long haul route at this time. Kind of sad, actually.
Interesting.. BRU is a major hub for pharmaceuticals so this could still be a cargo opportunity.
Now if it is indeed for slots, why would VA not also transport pax and have some extra connecting capacity for their TATL? I know it is more expensive to staff the flight, ground handling etc..
Also if they want to use their slot, why not go for another destination in Europe that has demand?