Virgin Atlantic has ordered seven Airbus A330-900s to complete the $17 billion transformation of the UK carrier’s fleet.
The new aircraft will be delivered from 2027 and by the following year Virgin Atlantic plans to operate a fleet of 45 aircraft, with an average age of just over six years. Currently the carrier has a fleet of 44 aircraft.
With this order, Virgin Atlantic will eventually operate 19 A330-900 aircraft – five are already in service, with a further three to be delivered later this year and four more by the end of 2026.
As new aircraft arrive, the carrier plans to “gradually retire” its Airbus A330-300s from September 2024.
By the first quarter of 2028, Virgin’s fleet will be a mixture of A330-900s, A350-1000s and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic said: “Today, we complete our multi-billion-dollar fleet transformation, with the purchase of seven additional A330-900s, which we know our customers and our people love to fly.
“Flying the youngest fleet is the most readily available and significant lever towards decarbonising long-haul aviation and we are proud to operate one of the youngest and most fuel and carbon efficient fleets across the Atlantic.”