JAKARTA - Virgin Atlantic in early October decided to suspend the Heathrow (London) - Hong Kong route, closing its Hong Kong office and not continuing flights in March 2023, after 30 years in Asian city due to problems related to closing Russian airspace.
Moscow's invasion of Ukraine has caused several airlines, which have been spurred by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to suspend flights and plan longer routes to evade Russian and Ukrainian airspace.
"A significant operational complexity due to the ongoing closure of Russian airspace, has contributed to a commercial decision not to resume flights in March 2023 as planned," said billionaire Richard Branson, reported The National News, October 6.
Virgin Atlantic has stopped flights to Hong Kong since December last year, while several airlines have not directed flights through Russian airspace following the invasion of Ukraine.
"We deeply regret the disappointment caused to our loyal customers on this route, and anyone who orders to travel from March 2023 will be offered a refund, voucher, or option to rebook on Virgin Atlantic's alternative route," the airline said.
This describes "significant operational complexities due to the ongoing closure of Russian airspace, contributing to a commercial decision not to resume flights in March 2023 as planned."
Virgin said the Hong Kong route was in a downward trend in profitability, even before the pandemic.
"We are constantly reviewing our network performance and as part of our long-term strategy for sustainable profit," the airline said in a memo to corporate customers seen by Bloomberg.
Virgin said it was "committed to only fly profitable routes" and still intends to resume flights to Shanghai.
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