The airline has so far operated five cargo-only flights from Shanghai to Heathrow, each carrying around 16 tonnes of medical equipment.
A sixth charter is due to arrive at Heathrow on Tuesday afternoon (21 April) thanks to special dispensation from the CAA, with two more flights planned later this month.
To maximise capacity, Virgin has been cleared to transport cargo in the cabin as well as the hold. In total, the eight flights will deliver more than 100 tonnes of PPE and other medical equipment.
Each 26-hour round trip is staffed by seven pilots and four cabin crew, who rotate duties and rest time.
Since the first charter on 3 April, Virgin has shipped more than 80 tonnes of supplies including 50 ventilators, 1.8 million face masks, 600,000 face shields and visors, one million disposable gloves, 38,000 pieces of eye protection and 75,000 protective coveralls and isolation gowns.
Dominic Kennedy, Virgin Atlantic Cargo managing director, said: “We’re hugely grateful to the NHS health and care workers who are working so hard to help the nation and respond to the Covid-19 crisis.
“Working closely with the NHS and Department of Health and Social Care, Virgin Atlantic is transporting more than 100 tonnes of crucial medical supplies and PPE in to the UK on special cargo charter flights from Shanghai this month, through Heathrow airport.
"Special dispensation from the CAA means that we can store cargo in the cabin as well as the cargo hold, ensuring even more essential medical supplies can reach the UK this week and be distributed by the NHS to frontline staff."
Virgin Atlantic operated its first ever cargo-only flight on 22 March, and has scaled the operation up to shift its role in the aviation sector to support the NHS.
The flights are operated in partnership with the UK government, while the British Embassy is working with the Department of Health and Social Care to procure medical equipment from China.
