Virgin Atlantic will end its service between London Heathrow and Austin, Texas, in January 2024 due to "persistent softening in corporate demand, specifically the tech sector", the airline announced today.
The airline's final service on the route, which was launched in May 2022, will operate on 7 January.
"We adored flying
our customers to Austin and experiencing this wonderful city of music
and culture, but demand in the tech sector is not set to improve in the
near term, with corporate demand at 70 per cent of 2019 levels," Virgin
Atlantic chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen said in a statement.
The
airline will be in contact with affected customers scheduled to fly
after 7 January "to provide options, which include offering a full refund,"
according to the carrier.
When it launched in May 2022, the service was Virgin's first new US destination since 2017. In the lead-up to the launch, a Virgin Atlantic sales executive told BTN Europe that sales had been "very strong" with 20 per cent
higher average ticket value on the route compared to the
airline’s other US services.
Meanwhile, citing "robust customer demand" for
premium leisure travel, Virgin Atlantic is increasing capacity between
London Heathrow and Miami from 11 flights per week to twice daily for the summer 2024 season.