Virgin Atlantic has completed its maiden flight between London Heathrow and Seattle.
Travel Weekly was on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as the world’s first transatlantic Facebook live stream was posted, with a performance from singer song writer Raye.
The service replaces that run by Virgin Atlantic’s partner Delta Air Lines, and Virgin hopes to add 40,000 extra seats annually on the route and fly a total of 150,000 passengers between London and Seattle-Tacoma Airport per year.
On the flight, tour operator Virgin Holidays also announced it was expanding its options for UK holidaymakers in the Evergreen State as a result of the increased direct flights.
The operator has seen a 30% growth in demand for the area since the Virgin Atlantic fight was announced. Options also include fly-cruise offerings to Alaska.
Sir Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic, said: “Seattle has long been on my list of cities to fly to and I’m delighted to launch this new service. As the home to Microsoft, Amazon and of course Boeing, Seattle is one of the fastest growing cities in the US and as a mecca for entrepreneurs and innovators, it’s a perfect fit for the Virgin Atlantic brand.”