LONDON: August 15, 2019. Cargo shippers are to benefit from increased UK-US frequencies as Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines announce an upturn in trans-Atlantic services.

The two airlines decision to increase capacity, routes, and frequencies also sees Delta join Virgin Atlantic at Gatwick Airport for the first time together.

Gatwick will become Delta’s seventh trans-Atlantic destination served nonstop from Boston when flights begin on May 22, 2020. One day before, Virgin Atlantic will launch a daily flight to New York-JFK from Gatwick. Together, the airlines will offer up to four daily flights to three U.S. cities next summer.

Customers shipping cargo to the UK from the northeast US will benefit from a choice of up to 18 daily flights between Boston and New York and two London airports, plus Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Beginning March 29, 2020, Delta and Virgin Atlantic will increase capacity between New York-JFK and London Heathrow. Delta will increase its services to three daily frequencies - with Virgin Atlantic operating five - including a daytime slot from JFK to Heathrow for the first time.

Virgin Atlantic is also set to increase flights to important West coast hubs, as it ups frequencies from Heathrow to Seattle from seven to 11 per week. Los Angeles will also see services rise from 14 to 17 flights per week, with up to three services per day operating in the busy summer months and will be the second route to be operated by the A350 next year.

Delta will return to Manchester, with a new peak-summer service to Boston effective May 21, 2020, taking over Virgin Atlantic’s current operation. Flights will increase from the current three per week to a daily service.

Manchester will become the eighth trans-Atlantic destination served nonstop by Delta from Boston, while flights to Atlanta, New York-JFK, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orlando will continue to be operated by Virgin Atlantic. Together, the airlines will offer a schedule of up to six daily flights to Manchester from six US cities next summer.

Delta Air Lines vice president Cargo Shawn Cole (left of picture) commented: “Our new services from Heathrow will also be supported by the opening later this year of our new joint cargo terminal, which will ultimately double our cargo handling capacity at the airport and ensure we continue to meet our customers’ service expectations.”

Dominic Kennedy, managing director Cargo at Virgin Atlantic added: “This is great news for the cargo customers of both airlines and will significantly increase the choice they have to ship goods between the UK and US.”