LONDON — Virgin Atlantic is expanding eastward with the launch of two new international routes – to Seoul, South Korea, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – while also reaffirming its commitment to the Indian market with five daily services and enhanced onward connectivity for North American travellers.
“Whilst Virgin Atlantic has long been known as the carrier of choice across the Atlantic and transatlantic travel remains core to our business, we are incredibly excited to expand our network in the east with the announcement of new services to Seoul starting in March 2026,” said Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer. “Building on new flying to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, five flights a day to India connecting North American customers from key gateways including our new route from Toronto, we’re delighted to offer customers the opportunity to fly in style for business or meet friends and relatives.”
SEOUL, KOREA
Daily flights to Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul are set to launch on March 29, 2026, and will operate on Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The new route strengthens Virgin Atlantic’s presence in East Asia, offering Canadian and U.S. customers convenient connections via London Heathrow with layovers of less than 90 minutes. Through Seoul, travellers will have access to onward destinations in Japan, Greater China, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand, thanks to partnerships with SkyTeam members such as Korean Air and Vietnam Airlines.
Tickets for the new Seoul service will go on sale on May 14, 2025.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic celebrated the launch of daily flights to Riyadh, marking its debut in Saudi Arabia. The service into King Khalid International Airport is timed to tap into growing business and tourism demand driven by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiatives. Connections through Saudia and a budding partnership with Riyadh Air will open further access to destinations such as Jeddah, Medina, Al Ula, Dammam, and the Red Sea coast.
In honour of its entry into the Saudi market, Virgin Atlantic has introduced a culturally tailored onboard experience. A “Riyadh core crew” has received training in Saudi customs, and Upper and Premium class travellers will be served Arabic coffee and dates, with Halal meals and a Traveller’s Prayer also featured as part of the in-flight service.
ENHANCED INDIA
Virgin Atlantic also continues to grow its India operations, which celebrate 25 years in 2025. The carrier now offers five daily flights – two each to Delhi and Mumbai, and one to Bengaluru – with over one million seats annually. The expanded schedule supports both passenger and cargo growth, with cargo capacity up 336% since 2019. Routes from Toronto, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles offer seamless transfers via Heathrow to Indian cities.
The airline’s codeshare with IndiGo, India’s largest domestic carrier, adds access to 36 more Indian destinations, such as Goa, Srinagar and Varanasi. Since the partnership began in September 2023, more than 130,000 passengers have flown on these codeshare services.
