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Virgin Atlantic has announced that it will launch new flights to Mumbai, India’s thriving Commercial Centre from Sunday 28 October 2012 from London Heathrow. The daily flight will serve the UK and will also offer easy connections to cities in the US including New York, Boston, Chicago and Washington as part of Virgin Atlantic's strategy to build a connecting network at London Heathrow.



Virgin Atlantic's newest A330 aircraft offering the best in the airline’s new product and service will be deployed and the investment will create 100 jobs in India and the UK.



Since 2009, the number of people who have flown between Heathrow and Mumbai has grown by 9% to more than one million passengers, making it Heathrow’s 12th busiest long-haul route. The new Mumbai service is being launched on the back of another Indian success story with the Virgin Atlantic New Delhi to London and New York service enjoying 20% growth in passenger numbers in 2011, which celebrates 12 years of flying this summer.



Steve Ridgway, Chief Executive, Virgin Atlantic Airways said, "Virgin Atlantic is proud to be flying to Mumbai again, linking this wonderful city to our key destinations of London, New York, Boston, Washington and Chicago. India’s phenomenal growth continues to drive travel to the UK and the USA and we know our passengers are going to love the connections the new flight offers.



"We are passionate about providing a unique service to customers and our new Airbus 330-300 will feature our brand new Upper Class Dreamsuite. We’ll continue to offer Indian entertainment and delicacies on board served by local Indian crew. Importantly the plane is also our most fuel efficient aircraft, delivering Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to flying a lower carbon fleet."



James Bevan, British High Commissioner to India said, "I am delighted that Virgin Atlantic has announced it is expanding into Mumbai. This is a welcome new offering for passengers travelling to and from India’s commercial capital, be it for business, leisure, education, sport or culture. The expansion of air links between the UK and India helps to underpin the vibrant people to people ties between our two countries. And it reinforces the UK’s position as an unrivalled global hub for business and a stepping stone to the rest of the world."



Rajeev Jain, Chief Executive Officer, Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Limited (GVK) said, "This is positive news for passengers, Mumbai Airport and the economy. We look forward to Virgin Atlantic restarting operations to India’s commercial capital, especially with their brand new, fuel-efficient A330-300 aircraft. London is a key international destination and the additional connectivity onwards to the USA will bring greater choice to both business & leisure travellers."



$2.2bn is being spent on Virgin Atlantic’s fleet of 10 Airbus A330 aircraft. The A330 is the Virgin Atlantic’s first long range twin engined aircraft and is the most efficient aircraft in its class today. The new plane will use 15% less fuel per seat than the airline’s A340-300 aircraft.



The aircraft will feature Panasonic’s latest in-flight entertainment system with VA’s renowned programmes. The new cutting edge system uses the latest touch screen technology which allows passengers to scroll and swipe through over 300 hours of content including Bollywood and Indian movies and TV channels quickly and easily.



The A330-300 aircraft will be configured in the airline’s three classes: Upper Class with 33 seats, Premium Economy with 48 seats and Economy with 185 seats.