UK: Virgin Business Only

Virgin Atlantic is to take advantage of the new “open skies” agreement on transatlantic flights to launch business-only services from London and five mainland European cities to the US.

Speaking in Nairobi, Sir Richard said the new service would aim to offer better quality at lower prices than Eos Airlines and Maxjet, which have both operated business class-only flights between London Stansted and New York since 2005. The new service will offer flat beds.

Virgin is understood to want to buy 15 narrow-bodied jets to operate the new routes. The business class-only services may also use some of the 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliner mid-sized wide-bodied aircraft already on order for delivery from 2011.