Virgin Atlantic is gearing up for its busiest ever summer at Manchester Airport in 2027, with a fifth aircraft based at its home in the North, more flights to New York and record summer frequencies to Orlando and Atlanta.
The expanded flying programme will give customers across the North of England more choice when planning their next adventure, from the bright lights of the Big Apple to Orlando’s world-famous theme parks, with more opportunities to explore the US via Atlanta.
From April 2027, Virgin Atlantic will increase its Manchester to New York JFK services from daily to ten flights per week, offering customers greater flexibility to explore the city that never sleeps.
Orlando, the airline’s first destination from Manchester when services launched in 1996, will see up to 19 flights per week during July and August 2027, giving families even more opportunities to enjoy Florida’s sunshine and attractions during the school summer holidays.
Services to Atlanta will also receive a boost, with the larger Airbus A350 operating on the route throughout the summer season, from April to October. Frequencies will increase from daily to 11 flights per week between 5th June and 15th July, providing more choice for customers visiting the city or connecting onwards throughout the US via the home of Virgin Atlantic’s joint venture partner, Delta Air Lines.
To support its record summer programme, Virgin Atlantic will base a fifth aircraft at Manchester for the peak summer months*, the Airbus A339 offering 262 seats across Upper Class, Premium and Economy Delight, Classic and Light cabins. The move reinforces the airport’s importance within the airline’s UK network and its longstanding commitment to customers across the North.
Dave Geer, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, said:
“Manchester is our home in the North, and we’re taking our flying programme to new heights with our busiest ever summer with more departures than ever before. With a fifth aircraft based at the airport across our peak summer period and more flights to New York, Orlando and Atlanta, we’re giving customers even more choice to travel to the destinations they love. This growth reflects the strong demand we’re seeing from the region and our continued commitment to Manchester and beyond.”
Tom Bingham, Manchester Airport’s Head of Aviation & Business Development, Africa, Europe and the Americas, said:
“As the biggest and best airport in the North, we’re proud to offer an unrivalled network of long-haul destinations and Virgin Atlantic is a vital part of that, so it’s wonderful to see additional capacity on all three of their US routes next year. New York and Orlando are iconic destinations, while Atlanta is not only a fascinating place to visit in its own right, it also has the busiest passenger airport in the world and offers travellers from Manchester a huge range of one-stop connections onward across North America.”
As part of these changes, Virgin Atlantic has taken the difficult decision to suspend its seasonal service between Manchester and Las Vegas, which will not return for Summer 2027. Customers can continue to reach Las Vegas from Manchester by flying with Virgin Atlantic to New York JFK or Atlanta and connecting onwards with Delta Air Lines, or travel on Virgin Atlantic’s direct daily service from London Heathrow.
Customers already booked to travel from Manchester to Las Vegas in 2027 will be contacted directly by Virgin Atlantic, or by their travel agent, to discuss their options, which include a full refund or alternative flights.
Flight summaries
| Route | Frequency |
| MAN-JFK | Increasing from seven to ten times per week |
| MAN-ATL | Larger A350 aircraft with 335 seats between April and October with frequencies increasing to 11 per week from 5th June- 15th July |
| MAN-MCO | Services will operate up to 19 weekly from June-August 2027 |
*Fifth aircraft based at Manchester airport for June, July and August
