Virgin Atlantic completed its inaugural flight from London Heathrow to St Vincent and the Grenadines, the island’s only direct service to and from Europe.

The twice-weekly service flies via Barbados and departs every Wednesday and Sunday, operating on the airline’s A330-300 aircraft boasting 31 upper class, 48 premium and 185 economy delight, classic and light seats.

The new service to London Heathrow airport will provide travellers from St Vincent with a direct link to the UK’s iconic capital city, alongside seamless connections onto Virgin Atlantic network via London Heathrow. The new route complements Virgin Atlantic’s recently announced Bahamas to Heathrow service, launched recently last year and the launch of its seasonal winter service from St Lucia to London Heathrow beginning on December 18, 2020.

Hannah Swift, country manager, Caribbean at Virgin Atlantic, commented: “We couldn’t be more excited to launch the first flight from St Vincent and the Grenadines to Europe with our new twice-weekly service.

“We’re currently flying to the UK from Barbados, Jamaica, Antigua and Grenada and expect to restart Tobago and Havana, Cuba, in the upcoming months. We also look forward to launching new services from The Bahamas as well as St Lucia, as we continue to expand our services from the Caribbean to the UK.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome customers onboard as they fly off on holiday or travel to visit loved ones.”

Steve Moore, resident British commissioner to St Vincent and the Grenadines, was a happy diplomat.

“I’m absolutely delighted that this has happened. A direct flight link between SVG and the UK can only help to make bilateral ties even stronger. It will also make life that little bit easier for British tourists, the SVG tourism industry, the Vincentian Diaspora in the UK, the many Vincentians employed in the UK as nurses or with the British Armed Forces, and for me too! It’s great to finally be connected.”

Virgin Atlantic said it continues to ensure that customers have peace of mind at the airport and when taking to the skies, following its implementation of comprehensive health and safety measures. These include enhanced and thorough cleaning practices at check in, boarding gates and onboard including the use of electrostatic spraying of high-grade disinfectant in all cabins and lavatories before every flight, ensuring no surface is left untouched. Safe distancing is also adhered to wherever possible, and mask wearing is required throughout the journey. The airline said all customers are provided with a personal health pack for their health and safety, which contain medical grade face masks to be worn onboard, surface wipes and hand gel.