Belfast-Orlando won’t operate at all during summer 2023, while Virgin’s Edinburgh-Orlando flights will resume on 21 June rather than 1 April. Manchester-Orlando services, meanwhile, will be reduced from 12 a week to seven a week in May and June, and Heathrow-Orlando from 14 a week to 11 a week.
It comes after Virgin earlier this week confirmed it would end its Heathrow-Tobago route from 11 January 2023. Also in the Caribbean, its Heathrow-Antigua route will be reduced to one flight a week from 11 May to 28 October.
Elsewhere, Manchester-Atlanta will be paused during April and May 2023, while Heathrow-Shanghai will restart later than planned on 1 May.
Virgin is, though, adding extra flights on a number of routes. Heathrow-New York JFK will increase to six-times-daily during April, Heathrow-Miami from seven services a week to 10, and Heathrow-Austin from four to seven services a week in May, June and September.
Heathrow-Islamabad, meanwhile, will increase to three services a week and Heathrow-Lahore to four services a week.
Customers affected by the changes will be contacted from 13 October.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said as demand returned post-pandemic, it was making changes to "support the ramp-up" of its operations and "reflect changes in customer demand".
"As a result, during the summer 2023 season, we’ve implemented some changes to service frequencies and aircraft types and unfortunately made some advance cancellations on certain routes, including Manchester-Atlanta and Edinburgh-Orlando during the spring and Belfast-Orlando next summer.
"Our London Heathrow-Shanghai services are also now set to resume on the slightly later date of 1 May 2023, restarting an important link between the UK and China."
On the decision to end its Tobago route, the spokesperson said it was a "commercial decision", adding the carrier wanted to thank its partners in Trinidad & Tobago over the years for their support.
US focus
The changes will see Virgin ramp up its US schedule. "We have a commitment to fly the routes where our customers most want to travel and responding to continued demand for our US heartland, we will be introducing three additional Miami services per week, with New York-JFK frequencies also increased to six times per day," the spokesperson continued.
"Summer services from Heathrow to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad will operate three times a week and Lahore, four times, and our popular Austin route, which launched in May 2022, will increase to daily flying in peak months."
Virgin said it wished to apologise to customers for any inconvenience, and urged people not to call its contact centre. "Affected customers will be contacted in the coming days with their options.
"Where a flight is cancelled, customers have the choice to request a voucher or full refund. If re-routing is a suitable and available option, we can also rebook customers on alternative services. Those who booked via a third party such as a travel agent should contact them directly for their options," the spokesperson added.
