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Virgin Atlantic cabin crew with Piper Conner Pratt launch the first flight from Edinburgh to Barbados
Direct flights from Scotland to the Caribbean begin
Virgin Atlantic’s new Edinburgh to Barbados route takes flight.
Scotland’s only direct flight to the Caribbean has commenced as Virgin Atlantic settles into
its new home at Edinburgh Airport.
A launch event for the new service was held today as flight VS223 departed from the capital
to Barbados on Wednesday (8 Dec) morning, and the twice weekly service is being operated
on an Airbus A330.
It’s the first time Virgin Atlantic has flown international flights from the Scottish capital in its
37-year history. The airline will also commence flights from Edinburgh to Orlando in March
2022.
The new service aims to capture the pent-up demand to visit and reconnect with family and
loved ones as well as sunseekers looking to explore the idyllic island, with easy onward
connections to the wider Caribbean.
The service will also offer an efficient cargo service to strengthen the global supply chain
and presenting new opportunities for companies looking to export and import Scottish
products between Scotland and the Caribbean.
Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said:
“Welcoming Virgin Atlantic to its new home in Scotland is hugely exciting and I know seeing
that famous Virgin tailfin at Edinburgh Airport is something that has created a buzz across
the campus and with our passengers.
“There’s pent up demand for safe and sustainable travel and by offering Scotland’s only
direct route to the Caribbean we are looking to make it as easy as possible for people to get
away on that well-earned break or holiday of a lifetime.”
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, said:
“Commencing international flights from Edinburgh marks an exciting new chapter for Virgin
Atlantic and we couldn’t be happier to be flying from a new home in Scotland. I know our
teams have been itching to show Edinburgh the Virgin Atlantic spirit and flair we’re famous
for.
“Our new route to the idyllic island of Barbados offers the quintessential Caribbean getaway
and a perfect escape for those travellers looking to either simply relax or explore a new
corner of the world.”
Minister for Transport, Graeme Dey said
“The launch of this new route between Edinburgh and Barbados is an important milestone
for the aviation industry in Scotland and great show of confidence in the market.
“The sector has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, so it’s very encouraging
to see the shoots of recovery with this new service and the return of the route to Orlando
next year.
“I wish Edinburgh Airport and Virgin Atlantic every success with this new route.”
Background
The new twice weekly service from Edinburgh will operate on Sundays and Wednesdays.
The flight will be operated by the airline’s Airbus A330.
Customers can choose to fly in one of three cabins, including the luxurious Upper Class,
which offers an exclusive bar area and fully flat beds, or Premium, where customers can
enjoy a 38” seat pitch, welcome drinks and fine dining. Return Economy flights start from
£419 per person.
A recruitment day to promote the range of career opportunities at Edinburgh Airport will be held later this month (April 2022).
The airport will be joined at the event by a variety of campus partners including Swissport, Menzies, Hampton by Hilton, Sasse, Jet2 and more, and is being held in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions.
Retailers will also be in attendance, including JDW, All Bar One, Hudson Grill, Costa, Nero.
The airport recently warned that this summer could see lengthy queues as a result of recruitment problems.
Large numbers of staff were made redundant during the Covid pandemic and replacing them has proved difficult.
Passengers are heading back to Edinburgh Airport but it has proved difficult to replace the staff made redundant during the Covid pandemic
The event will take place at Capital House at Edinburgh Airport on Tuesday 19 April, starting at 1000 and finishing at 1300. People looking to attend can sign up via Eventbrite.
Gillian Pollock, Director of People and Planning at Edinburgh Airport said:
“The recovery of aviation is exciting, and we know people are looking forward to returning to travel but there is no denying that the industry, like many others, is facing a challenging recruitment market.
“We want to be able to demonstrate to people that there are a range of employment options available across the Edinburgh Airport campus, and there is a real opportunity to create a career here – we have many examples of people starting off in one role before moving to others during their time at the airport.
“The recruitment day will offer ourselves and our partners the chance to speak about the possibilities and hopefully encourage people to join us on our recovery journey, and for us to help them on their career journey.”
