Virgin Atlantic set aside old rivalries with British Airways for joint take-off to mark reopening of US to UK passengers after more than 600 days.
Airlines British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have marked the return of US travel with a rare twin take-off from Heathrow Airport on Monday morning.
The BA and Virgin flights – numbered BA001, a number usually reserved for Concorde flights, and VS3 – both left for New York JFK in the first ever dual take off of its kind from Heathrow at 8.30am.
The two Airbus A350-1000 took to the skies in a “synchronised departure on parallel runways at Heathrow”, said a joint statement from the airlines.
It marks the first day since March 16 2020 that the vast majority of UK nationals have been able to fly to the US.
Virgin Atlantic’s 12 flights to the US from Heathrow and Manchester tomorrow are fully booked.
Featured image: ©Mark D Harris