Koster said the new aircraft, the launch of which has been some three years in the making, would mark the start of a new era for the carrier following the Covid pandemic.
Virgin placed an order for 14 A330-900 aircraft in June 2019, which has since increased to 16; Virgin will take delivery of three this year, and another in February 2023, with the remaining 12 due for delivery by 2026.
The airline hopes to debut the new A330, which replaces the A330-300, on its Heathrow-Boston route in October.
It features a further evolution of Virgin’s cabin, including a new enclosed Upper class seat and two larger suites – The Retreat, which will be situated at the front of the business cabin, and The Loft, an area for up to eight people to socialise replacing the former Upper bar.
There are also improvements through the rest of the aircraft’s classes, with Koster highlighting complete Bluetooth headset connectivity and "great power and charging operations", including wireless in social spaces and in premium cabins.
"We have something for everyone in all cabins," he said. "We’re very excited about this new addition to our cabin. We’re clearly back, I would say – this is a pivotal moment for the airline."
Koster was coy on whether any of the new features would filter down to other aircraft, or whether it would look to retrofit any older aircraft with some of the new features, but did not rule out the prospect.
"That’s something for a bit further in the future," he said, when pressed. "It would depend on the lifetime of the aircraft and how much longer it is in the fleet, whether it is worth an overhaul. There’s a lot involved, it’s aircraft time on the ground, cost, and so on.
"If there was an opportunity to do it, we’d look at that seriously. Right now, there is no immediate opportunity."
Koster added the airline’s sales team would be introducing the new features of the A330-900 to the trade, and stressed it would be deployed initially on a number of US routes.
"We’ll have a lot of material available [for the trade]," he said. "This is just the beginning, the first unveil. Our sales teams will be in touch with agents and business partners. We’ll offer a lot of material and take their input if there’s anything else they need.
"We think there will be a lot of opportunities to sell and promote Virgin Atlantic. Agents will largely see it as a transatlantic aircraft."
