Is Virgin Atlantic's Return to Asia-Pacific Obligation or Opportunity?

Virgin Atlantic is returning to Asia-Pacific with a new route to Seoul. The service from its London Heathrow hub will launch on March 29, 2026, and operate daily. 

The news will not come as a huge surprise for industry watchers.

In 2023, Virgin Atlantic won traffic rights to operate between London and Seoul as part of pro-competitive conditions tied to the merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. It also launched a codeshare partnership with Korean Air which it described as “a first step towards Virgin Atlantic’s entry to Seoul.”

However, given fleet constraints and expansion in other regions, it wasn’t clear if or when exactly Virgin would exercise its rights.

In February, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) extended the deadline for Virgin Atlantic to launch the London-Seoul route. This followed a formal request by the British airline to the competition regulator.

Notably, this decision was conditional on, “Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited providing legally binding assurances to the CMA that it will commence operations as the Proposed Remedy Taker on the relevant routes at the start of summer 2026.”

CMA documents state that the airline must operate the route for at least three years or risk forfeiting the rights.

British Airways — Virgin Atlantic’s long-time rival — launched its own nonstop route from Heathrow to the South Korean capital in 2012, however it did not return after the pandemic.

Virgin Atlantic Pulls Out of China

The addition of South Korea marks a notable return to East Asia for the British carrier. Last year it announced it would end its London-Shanghai route after 25 years. The airline cited “significant challenges and complexities” for the decision.

Traveling westbound, Virgin’s advertised journey time between the two cities was 14 hours and 20 minutes. By comparison, Chinese airlines that still fly over Russia can operate the same route in under 12 hours.

With Hong Kong dropped in 2022 and Tokyo leaving the network almost a decade ago, it left the Indian city of Bengaluru as the carrier’s most easterly destination. 

The Seoul flights will be operated by the Boeing 787-9 in a three-class configuration. While the economics of the Dreamliner are well-suited to the route, it is equipped with the airline’s oldest cabin design.

Passengers traveling in the carrier’s flagship Upper Class cabin will have an uncompetitive seat which some frequent flyers have dubbed ‘coffin class’ due to its narrow proportions and parallel configuration. The Upper Class seat is just one inch wider than those found in premium economy.

A Leisure-Heavy Route

Hinting at the likely passenger mix onboard the new flights, Virgin acknowledges that the route “is expected to attract a predominantly leisure customer.” Corporate travel and visiting friends and relatives will be secondary sources of traffic. Tickets will go on sale on May 14.

Connecting passengers will also be important for the long-term success of the new service. In 2023, Virgin Atlantic joined the SkyTeam alliance, opening new transit opportunities through major global hubs such as Seoul Incheon Airport. 

The most significant of these is Korean Air, but Vietnam Airlines, China Eastern, China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, and Xiamen Airlines will also offer strategic onward connections across the region. A total of 15 cities will be available through existing codeshare agreements.

As well as carrying passengers, air freight will be a key additional revenue stream. The company says South Korea’s “thriving technology and beauty industries” will offer new business opportunities for Virgin Atlantic Cargo.

Speaking on Wednesday, Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic chief commercial officer said: “Whilst Virgin Atlantic has long been known as the carrier of choice across the Atlantic and transatlantic travel remains core to our business, we are incredibly excited to expand our network in the east with the announcement of new services to Seoul.”

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