Virgin Atlantic is to restore service to China with the first flights to Shanghai since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
The airline will restart daily Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights from Heathrow on May 1 with fares starting at £699.
Shanghai is the carrier’s final route to be re-instated following the global pandemic, having been closed for a total of 859 days at the point of its relaunch.
The move follows a relaxation in strict China travel restrictions.
Shanghai is a hub for the airline’s new SkyTeam alliance partner, China Eastern, offering connections throughout the country.
Passengers travelling to China do not need to show proof of vaccination but they will need to show proof of a negative PCR test before they enter the country, alongside a health declaration form. Passengers arriving from China into the UK must take a negative PCR or lateral flow test.
The return to China complements rest of Virgin Atlantic’s global route network which includes the US, Caribbean, South Africa, India and Pakistan.
A Tel Aviv service is set to double capacity this summer to a double daily service.
New routes to the Maldives and Turks and Caicos start later this year.
Chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen said: “The return of our Shanghai services has been a long-time coming and I’m delighted it’s finally a reality.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming our customers back on board and providing vital links to one of the UK’s largest trading partners, for both passenger and cargo services.
“Shanghai is the final route to return following the global pandemic, restoring our flying programme to full capacity.
“Our focus for 2023 is on delivery, as we look forward to launching routes to new destinations, welcoming brand new clean, green aircraft and getting back to our best for our customers and people.”