UK-based carrier Virgin Atlantic has announced plans to boost frequency on its routes to Dubai, the Maldives and Barbados next winter.

In a press statement, the carrier says that its tri-weekly flights from Heathrow to the Maldives, announced in October, would be increased to a daily service for the winter 2024-2025 season.

Virgin says its route between Heathrow and Dubai, which resumed in October after a four-year hiatus, will also increase to daily next winter.

The statement adds that Virgin’s flights to Barbados, first launched in 2017, will operate twice daily from Heathrow throughout winter 2024, in addition to a four-times-weekly service from Manchester.

The airline says that its daily flights between London and Dubai will be operating from October, 26, 2024, while Heathrow-Barbados will operate twice daily from October 27, and Maldives will also operate daily from the same date.

Virgin has also outlined plans to increase capacity on its key US routes from London Heathrow to Boston and New York JFK next summer. The carrier will operate seven daily flights to JFK for summer 2024, as well as offering a twice-daily service to Boston.

However, Virgin has announced the cancellation of its flights between Heathrow and Austin in Texas early January, and the carrier has also postponed the launch of its Heathrow-Sao Paulo service until 2025.

Juha Jarvinen

“We are excited to be whisking our customers away on more sunny breaks than ever next year, thanks to our expanding leisure portfolio.  Our recent route launches to Dubai and the Maldives have already proved exceptionally popular and we’re pleased to offer more opportunities for our customers to reach these luxurious destinations in 2024 and 2025. We will serve a record number of Caribbean islands in 2024 with direct services from London Heathrow to Antigua, The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and The Grenadines, and Turks & Caicos,” says Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer, Virgin Atlantic.

“The introduction of twice daily flights from Heathrow to Barbados, alongside our four times a week service from Manchester, cement the island’s position as our most popular destination in the Caribbean. We know our customers love the island’s welcoming hospitality, warm climate and stunning resorts and can’t wait to fly a record number of holidaymakers to this incredible island next year,” Jarvinen adds.