Airlines Virgin Atlantic and British Airways (BA), who have been competitors in the U.S. market for decades, will reportedly perform a simultaneous take-off from London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom, on runways 27L and 27R, respectively, towards New York JFK, United States.
These will be the first transatlantic flights carrying leisure travelers to the United States since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic closed borders in March 2020.
Virgin and BA executives called it a pivotal moment for the battered industry, with both airlines reporting massive losses and laying off thousands of employees during the 20-month travel ban.
BA will carry BA001, the old Concorde's flagship flight number, for the occasion. The flight, along with Virgin flight VS3, will depart from London Heathrow on parallel runways for JFK airport in New York, more than 600 days after the imposition of the U.S. travel ban.
The transatlantic corridor has accounted for the majority of Virgin and BA profits in recent years. The airlines have stated that the reopening of U.S. borders to foreign travelers, which the Biden administration announced in late September, would be a substantial boost for the industry.
Notably, 22 million individuals and 900,000 tons of goods were transported between the two countries each year before the pandemic.
Since the summer, vaccinated U.S. visitors have been able to travel to the U.K., with the region lifting quarantine restrictions. But the airlines are now increasing schedules, with full planes for the first time this week.
Sean Doyle, CEO at British Airways, has said that the companies are putting rivalries aside and, for the first time, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic planes will take off simultaneously to highlight the significance of the transatlantic corridor.
With both airlines severely impacted by the pandemic, BA's owner, IAG, expects losses of USD 8.4 billion (€7.3 billion) over 2020 and 2021, and Virgin has been on the verge of bankruptcy. In light of this, the pair will demonstrate a rare show of cooperation after decades of intense rivalry.
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