Virgin Atlantic is adding Canada to its network after a decade of not flying to the country.
Flights from Heathrow to Toronto Pearson International Airport will launch next year, marking the airline’s expansion into North America.
The daily service will launch on March 30 with fares starting from £490 per person.
Flights will operate a mix of aircraft on the route including the A330-900neo, the latest addition to Virgin Atlantic’s fleet.
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A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “The new service is set to connect two global financial hubs and provides optimal connectivity to for Virgin Atlantic’s Indian customers via London, from newly launched destination Bengaluru, alongside Mumbai and Delhi, which both operate twice daily.”
The airline is also expanding a codeshare partnership with Canadian carrier WestJet from October, including flights from Ottawa and Winnipeg.
The last time Virgin Atlantic flew to Canada was when it operated a service to Vancouver between 2012-2014.
The airline’s return to Canada has been announced to tie in with its 40th anniversary, which is being celebrated this year.
Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic founder, said: “When starting Virgin Atlantic 40 years ago, I went against everyone’s advice: friends, experts, the press, the pundits – and on paper, they were right.
“Back then, travelling by plane wasn’t a fun experience, but airlines were allowed to get away with it as no real competition existed. I realised then that there was a gap to give passengers a great experience – and I love a challenge. The result was our ruby red airline, that shook up aviation.
“Since then, there have been many occasions where people told me we’d fail. But we kept the same belief then that I had in 1984 – if you can create something that’s much better than what everybody else is offering, then you have at least a chance of succeeding.
“From 1984 to 2024, it’s our people who make me the proudest. They are much more than just a workforce; they are what makes Virgin Atlantic special. They’re the red thread that keeps us all together and I know they will continue to look after our customers for the next 40 years and beyond.”