Virgin Atlantic is to introduce a new route from Heathrow to Austin in Texas from May 2022 – the airline’s first new destination in the US for seven years.
The new US route will operate four times per week from 25 May using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft featuring economy, premium economy and Upper Class cabins.
Austin is the fourth largest city in Texas and is home to a growing number of technology businesses, including big names such as Apple, Tesla, Facebook, IBM and Oracle, which has helped it to earn the nickname “Silicon Hills”.
Virgin’s join venture partner Delta Air Lines offers connections to 10 US cities from Austin, while KLM is also launching a new service from Schiphol to Austin in March 2022, which will operate three times per week.
Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are incredibly excited to launch this new service to Austin, Texas. With an impressive food, arts and music scene, we know it’s a destination our customers will love to explore.
“There are so many synergies between Virgin Atlantic and the city of Austin. We love their philosophy and desire to celebrate local brands, businesses and communities and we cannot wait to welcome customers, both existing and new onboard, flying them safely to explore this fabulously quirky city.”
Virgin Atlantic’s new Austin service will operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Flights will go on sale from Wednesday (12 January) with the airline offering Delight, Classic and Light fares.
Jacqueline Yaft , CEO of Austin-Bergstrom International airport, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Virgin Atlantic to Austin and Central Texas.
“This exciting new partnership helps meet our goals of continued recovery from the impacts of the pandemic and furthers our commitment to being the gateway of central Texas for both leisure and business travellers alike.”