Virgin Atlantic to increase Flights to Cape Town

Virgin Atlantic Airways is increasing its twice-weekly services between London Heathrow and Cape Town to five per week for the winter season. The current scheduled twice-weekly service will increase to three services per week between 7 December 2005 and 25 January 2006 and will then increase to a five-weekly service from 29 January 2006 until the end of the peak winter season on 25 March 2006.

Steve Ridgway, Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic, said, “We are delighted to be able to offer passengers more flights to Cape Town over the busiest time of the year. Since we launched our Cape Town route in December 1999, there has been a high demand for this destination from both leisure and business travellers. We would love to add more services in the future to meet this demand.”

Virgin Atlantic’s current twice-weekly service is scheduled to operate between Heathrow and Cape Town on Fridays and Sundays between 30 October to 24 March 2006.

A new Wednesday service will start from 7 December, which will depart from Heathrow at 20.00 and arrive in Cape Town at 10.00 the next day. The return flight will depart on Thursdays at 12.25 from Cape Town and arrive at Heathrow the same day at 22.40.

From 29 January 2006, the five-weekly services will operate at a retimed schedule for the period up to 25 March 2006. Flights will depart on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Heathrow at 18.00 arriving into Cape Town at 08.00 the next day. Return flights will operate from Cape Town on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays departing at 23.10 and arrive into Heathrow at 09.25 the next day. Flights in December and January will be operated with a Boeing 747-400. From January 29 flights will be operated with an Airbus 340-300.

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