Virgin Atlantic is the second-largest long-haul operator serving the United Kingdom. For the remainder of the year, the SkyTeam member plans an average of 33 daily departures from London Heathrow Airport (LHR), Manchester Airport(MAN), and Edinburgh Airport (EDI) combined.

Total activity has reduced by 5% year-over-year, which is partly due to fewer flights on some existing routes. It is also because Virgin has ceased flying from LHR to both Dubai and Bengaluru, which was influenced by the war in Iran and changing network priorities. However, Virgin launched flights from LHR to Seoul Incheon in March 2026, while another route starts soon.

Virgin Begins Flying To Phuket In October

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On Sunday, October 25, Northern Hemisphere airlines will switch to winter schedules based on IATA slot seasons. Exactly a week before, on Sunday, October 18, Virgin will lift off from LHR to the ever-popular Thai resort gateway of Phuket International Airport(HKT).

It’ll operate three times weekly during the winter, which is a standard frequency for a brand-new long-haul route in an airline’s network. Unsurprisingly, the higher-capacity and less premium, 258-seat Boeing 787-9 will be deployed, with only one frame needed for this link.

It’ll be the first time that Virgin has served HKT, which, given the leisure-focused nature of the airline and route, might be surprising. It’d perhaps fit more comfortably from London Gatwick Airport (LGW), but Virgin ceased flying to the UK’s second-busiest airport as a consequence of COVID-19. The airline consolidated at LHR. In 2026, LGW-HKT is served by TUI Airways and, from December, the troubled Norse Atlantic.

OAG data shows that LHR first had nonstop flights to HKT in 2021/2022, which was during the pandemic. Thai Airways operated. HKT was Thailand’s test bed for the country’s borders reopening. As flights had to be nonstop to HKT, the operating Boeing 777-300ER flew from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to LHR and then LHR-HKT-BKK on the way back. Virgin’s entry will be the first time LHR has had flights to HKT during ‘normal’ times.

HKT Is A Large Market From London

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Booking data shows that approximately 249,000 round-trip passengers flew between London (LON) and HKT in 2025. Ignoring seasonality, nearly 700 people traveled each day. It was the second-largest European market to the Thai destination after Moscow (620,000). The Russian capital’s significantly higher volume might have been influenced by sanctions elsewhere.

An estimated 194,000 people traveled to/from LHR, followed by 49,000 for LGW and 6,000 for London Stansted Airport (STN). Emirates transported all the passengers from STN. All three London airports will have increased traffic in 2026. There’s the entry of Virgin at LHR, Norse at LGW, and sixth freedom operator Turkish Airlines at STN earlier this year (providing more connecting opportunities).

Etihad Airways carried more passengers between London and Phuket than any other operator. Qatar Airways was next, followed by Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Air India, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Turkish Airlines, and Air China.

In total, approximately 53% of the passengers flew with the so-called Middle East Big Three carriers. Their dominance was unsurprising. They collectively had up to ten daily departures from their respective hubs to HKT last year. In 2026, that has jumped to a high of 12 daily services.

Will Bali Be Next?!

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Examining booking data more closely suggests that London-Phuket generated approximately $109 million (around £83 million) in revenue in 2025. This is based on multiplying the base fare (which excludes taxes, add-ons, and any fuel surcharge) by the total number of passengers.

Across all airlines, cabins, and passengers, the average fare was only $438 each way. That is not a lot. It was driven by the tourist nature of the market with lower premium demand. Thailand, generally, is not particularly high yielding. The average fare between London and Bangkok was only $521 each way last year. While of relatively similar distances, London to Kuala Lumpur was $679, against $1,312 for the very premium Singapore. Their very different natures mean they’re not like-for-like comparisons.

Bali is a fairer comparison. London had 216,000 round-trip passengers last year to/from Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), with a base fare of $637. Of course, a nonstop flight to Denpasar would cover significantly more distance than to DPS, which means much higher operating costs. When spread over the great circle distance, HKT’s average is 8.1 US cents per nautical mile, against 9.4 cents for Bali. Virgin would secure a price premium for nonstop flights.

Will nonstop service from London ever materialize? Never say never, but it would be an extremely long way for what is a tourist-driven market with a considerable number of connecting opportunities. The big three Middle Easterm airlines alone will have up to seven daily flights to Bali in 2026, up to two of which will be on the Airbus A380. I’d certainly not bet on Virgin entering the market.