Virgin Atlantic has unveiled its newest long-haul route, adding a connection between London Heathrow and Toronto Pearson. Announced just a few days ago, the schedule for this flight is now officially available and tickets are open for booking.

New Daily Service from London to Toronto

Starting March 30, 2025, Virgin Atlantic will begin daily flights between London Heathrow (LHR) and Toronto Pearson (YYZ). The airline will utilize a mix of Airbus A330-900neo and Airbus A330-300 aircraft for this route. The flight schedule is as follows:

• VS147 London to Toronto: Departing 5:10 PM, arriving 8:30 PM
• VS148 Toronto to London: Departing 10:20 PM, arriving 10:30 AM (+1 day)

This 3,556-mile journey is scheduled for 8 hours and 20 minutes westbound and 7 hours and 10 minutes eastbound. Flights should become bookable shortly, with award seats available, thanks to Virgin Atlantic’s award seat guarantee, making it easy to book with Flying Club points.

Virgin Atlantic Returns to Canada

This marks Virgin Atlantic’s return to Canada for the first time in over a decade, having last flown to Vancouver in 2014. The Toronto service is technically a route resumption, as Virgin Atlantic operated this route briefly in 2001 before it was cut following the events of 9/11.

The new route aims to connect two global financial hubs while providing optimal connectivity to Virgin Atlantic’s network in India, including flights to Delhi, Mumbai, and the newly launched service to Bengaluru.

Expanded Codeshare Partnership with WestJet

Additionally, Virgin Atlantic is set to expand its codeshare partnership with WestJet starting in October 2024. This partnership will enable Canadian customers to access various regional destinations, including Ottawa and Winnipeg. Frequent flyer reciprocity is also expected in 2025, allowing Flying Club members to redeem points on WestJet flights.

Strategic Considerations

For a London-based airline, the choice of Toronto as a new destination is logical. However, Virgin Atlantic faces several strategic challenges:

• The airline has limited growth aspirations due to its exclusive long-haul fleet and limited aircraft orders.
• Virgin Atlantic is 49% owned by Delta, focusing primarily on its transatlantic joint venture with Delta and Air France-KLM.
• Outside the North Atlantic and India, Virgin Atlantic has struggled with its route strategy, including canceled plans to fly to Sao Paulo and limited expansion in North and Southeast Asia.

Despite these challenges, there is significant demand between Toronto and London, as well as between Toronto and India, which bodes well for the new route. However, competition is fierce, with Air Canada dominating Toronto and British Airways maintaining a strong presence.

Future Prospects

While the partnership with WestJet offers additional connectivity, much of WestJet’s Toronto network focuses on leisure destinations, which may not significantly benefit this route. Virgin Atlantic has a history of launching and then canceling flights, so the success of this new service remains to be seen.

Conclusion

Starting in the spring of 2025, Virgin Atlantic will offer a new daily flight between London and Toronto. This flight marks Virgin Atlantic’s first return to Canada in over a decade. While the route might not have been the most expected choice, it leverages both local traffic and connections to India, suggesting it has the potential to perform well.

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