Virgin Atlantic to Resume Service Between London Heathrow and Shanghai From May 1st, 2023

Virgin Atlantic will resume daily service between London Heathrow and Shanghai starting May 1st, 2023. The carrier originally suspended service on February 1st, 2020 due to the pandemic, before resuming temporarily until a further suspension on December 23, 2020.

Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Rendering - Courtesy Boeing

On Thursday (April 27, 2023), Virgin Atlantic announced the resumption of daily service between London Heathrow and Shanghai starting May 1st, 2023 with return fares from £432 per person. The carrier originally suspended the route on February 1st, 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, before resuming temporarily until further suspending flights on December 23, 2020. Shanghai is Virgin Atlantic’s final route to be re-established following the pandemic. The route will be operated with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner featuring three cabins, including Upper Class, Premium, and three classes of Economy, Delight, Classic and Light. Customers traveling to China will need to show proof of a negative PCR test before they enter the country, and will have be required to fill out a health declaration form.

In Thursday’s announcement, Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Commercial Officer, Juha Jarvinen, said,

“The restart of our services to Shanghai is a major milestone for Virgin Atlantic. Shanghai was the first of our routes to be suspended in 2020 at the start of the global pandemic and the last to return, making it the final piece to restore our flying programme to full capacity. After such a long hiatus, we’re looking forward to welcoming our customers back to Shanghai and providing vital links to one of the UK’s largest trading partners, for both passenger and cargo services.”

Inbound customers to Shanghai can also enjoy seamless onward connections across China and Beyond with Virgin Atlantic’s new SkyTeam partner, China Eastern. Flying Club members will also soon have the opportunity to earn and redeem Virgin Points across China Eastern’s network, along with many other SkyTeam partners. The return of service to China complements Virgin Atlantic’s global route network which includes service to the U.S., Caribbean, South Africa, Nigeria and India. Service to Tel Aviv for summer 2023 has also doubled, with twice-daily service on offer. Additionally, new routes to the Maldives and Turks & Caicos will also commence later this year.

Source: Virgin Atlantic