Virgin Atlantic launches first services to the Middle East with flights to Dubai

It is a key business and leisure destination for Virgin Atlantic as Dubai is the second biggest long haul route out of London, while London is the most popular long haul route out of the United Arab Emirates. The direct flights between Heathrow and Dubai will operate four times a week, which will increase to five a week from 1 May and daily from 1 June and will be on an Airbus A340-600.

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic, commented: "I am delighted Virgin Atlantic has finally arrived in Dubai, Virgin Atlantic's first destination in the Middle East. This new service underpins our strong commitment to the business traveller. We are delighted to be extending choice between the two cities and can't wait to introduce daily services from 1 June. Dubai is the second largest long haul route out of London and we are confident that we can make big in-roads into this market targeting 10% market share in our first year of operation.

"I have visited Dubai many times in recent years and I've been so impressed with its commitment to further development and its innovative approach. Not only has Dubai successfully established itself as the key travel hub of the region but also as a major business centre and popular holiday destination in its own right and its popularity continues to grow.

"Passengers travelling on Virgin Atlantic will enjoy the award-winning Upper Class Suite, the longest fully flat bed in business class in world aviation. The consumers of the United Arab Emirates are among the most discerning in the world and we are sure that the Upper Class Suite won't fail to impress.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum for helping Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays to achieve its goal of starting operations to Dubai. I would also like to thank the Sharaf Group for helping Virgin Atlantic to set up our operations in Dubai."

Amanda Wills, Managing Director of Virgin Holidays, said: "Dubai has already proved an extremely popular destination with our customers and we have seen sales grow enormously over the last year. Virgin Atlantic's new service, along with the key ingredients of guaranteed sun, sea and sand make it the perfect holiday destination! It already offers some of the most stunning new hotels in the world that we have included in a dedicated brochure to Dubai and even more amazing hotels, leisure resorts and amenities are currently being built."

John Lloyd, Director of Cargo for Virgin Atlantic, commented: "Dubai is a leading air cargo hub, both in its own right and as a major transhipment point between Europe and the Far East. It is a dynamic market from both a passenger and cargo perspective and is one of many destinations we had earmarked for our future growth."

From 27 March services to Dubai (flight VS400) will depart from Heathrow on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 21:00 and arriving in Dubai International Airport at 07:10 the following morning. Return flights to Heathrow (flight VS401) will depart Dubai on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 14:35 and arrive into Heathrow at 19:10. From 1 May an additional weekly service will be added on Sundays from Heathrow returning from Dubai on Mondays. From 1 June daily services will commence.

Flights will be operated on Airbus A340-600 and A340-300 aircraft fitted with the Upper Class Suite. Virgin Atlantic's new Upper Class Suite, consists of a reclining leather seat for take off, a place to sit and eat a proper meal opposite your partner, the longest fully flat bed in the world with a proper mattress for sleeping on, a private onboard bar to drink at with your friends, a private massage zone and four limousines per return trip.

The Upper Class experience also includes Drive Thru Check In, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, the restaurant style inflight Freedom menu and a state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system.

Virgin Atlantic offers a unique product for Premium Economy passengers. Passengers can enjoy dedicated check and priority boarding. The Premium Economy seat offers a wider, more comfortable seat with more leg room, a glass of champagne prior to take off, a choice of liqueurs to follow dinner and a state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system. Virgin Atlantic's Economy class continues to offer passengers value for money and added extras like seat back televisions for all passengers with video on demand.

Virgin Atlantic flies to 26 destinations worldwide, including Dubai, with a route launch to Montego Bay in Jamaica later this year. The airline carries over five million passengers each year and plans to expand further through a mixture of new routes and extra capacity on Virgin Atlantic's network and the establishment of new airlines, such as Virgin Nigeria, which will fly thrice weekly from Dubai to Lagos from 1st May, across the world's developing aviation markets. Virgin Atlantic has 33 aircraft in its fleet with an average age of less than six years.