Virgin Atlantic shifts gears, buys A350 over A380

Virgin Atlantic has once again deferred buying the A380 super jumbo planes it put dibs on over 10 years ago, and will replace its remaining 747s with A350-1000s instead.

The A350-1000, which will fly for the first time this September, will join the VA fleet starting in 2019, with 8 purchased and 4 on lease. Half will be in a 360-seat configuration for business routes, especially JFK-LHR, while the others will be in a 410-seat “leisure” mode for other routes. Compared to the 8 remaining 747s, Virgin will lose a few seats, but gain flexibility. Compared to the A380, if taken, it’s again more planes and more flexibility.

VA will remain a two-manufacturer airline, with a continuing purchase of Boeing’s 787-9; it already has 13 and has defined it as one of its flagships for the future. Other aircraft in the fleet include the A330; it and the 787 fill a niche for mid-size flights. Virgin also has 4-engine A340s in its fleet, but they may be the next phase-out candidate. 

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