Virgin Halts London-Hong Kong Service After 30 Years

Virgin Atlantic has announced the suspension if its Heathrow-Hong Kong services, citing "operational complexities" due to the closure of Russian airspace.

The British airline will also close its Hong Kong office after 30 years in the city.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has led several airlines, already reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to suspend flights or plan longer routes to avoid Russian and Ukrainian airspace, with London-Hong Kong flight times at least one hour longer.

Virgin had initially halted flights to Hong Kong in December last year, after the city banned all flights from the UK during the depths of COVID, but were set to resume them in March 2023.

"Significant operational complexities due to the ongoing Russian airspace closure have contributed to the commercial decision not to resume flights in March 2023 as planned," the airline announced.

Virgin said it still intended to resume flights to Shanghai.

[Cover image via Wiki]