Virgin Atlantic is continuing its transatlantic expansion with a new direct route from London Heathrow to Tampa, launching on 3 November 2022.
The new year-round service will initially operate four times a week before increasing to daily from 28 November, complementing the airline’s up to four daily flights to Orlando and double-daily service to Miami. This latest addition follows the airline’s launch of direct flights between London and Austin in May 2022.
Offering more than 190,000 seats each year, Virgin Atlantic will be the only airline to directly connect the Tampa Bay region with London Heathrow.
“We are delighted to continue our expansion in the US with this new daily service to Tampa, Florida offering even more choice for customers on both sides of the Atlantic to connect between the US and the UK,” said Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic. “Florida is very much a firm favourite for our customers ever since our first flight to Miami back in 1986. With the popular theme parks and the stunning beaches of St Pete and Clearwater within easy reach, we know it’s an area our customers will love to explore. The region has a booming economy with high profile businesses moving to the area and many budding entrepreneurs registering start-ups in the city. We very much look forward to forging new relationships within the Tampa Bay community and cannot wait to welcome customers, both existing and new onboard, flying them safely to explore this exciting region.”
Joe Lopano, Chief Executive Officer, Tampa International Airport, commented: “We at Tampa International Airport are thrilled to offer our first-ever nonstop route to Heathrow and launch this new partnership with Virgin Atlantic. Not only does this create another Tampa-London option for our leisure travellers, but there’s a huge upside for our thriving business community to now have a direct connection to the world’s premier business airport. We expect this to be a popular route during what we know will be a very busy winter travel season at TPA.”
Dana Young, President and CEO, VISIT FLORIDA, added: “Expanding flight options and exposure to destinations throughout Florida is vital to maintaining and strengthening the UK’s position as our No. 1 market for overseas visitation. This new Virgin Atlantic service will provide more opportunities for UK travellers to experience the vibrant and growing city of Tampa, which offers a dynamic food scene, sports, arts and culture and much more.”
