Lady Emmeline will pay tribute to founder of the Suffragette movement and women’s rights activist Emmeline Pankhurst, whose efforts played a key role in ensuring women secured the right to vote.
The aircraft will enter service in April 2022 and will operate several of Virgin’s leisure routes, including Orlando, Antigua and Barbados.
Fearless Lady, meanwhile, will be named after Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson’s mother Eve, who passed away in January.
"An entrepreneur before the word existed", Eve Branson enlisted in the Women’s Royal Naval Service during the Second World War and took gliding lessons by disguising herself as a boy.
She later worked as an air hostess with British South American Airways, and founded the Eve Branson Foundation, set up to improve the lives of women and young girls in the Atlas mountains.
The aircraft will be registered G-VEVE in her memory.
Estelle Hollingsworth, Virgin’s chief people officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating two fearless females this International Women’s Day (8 March).
"Having their names emblazoned on the side of our aircraft will act as a lasting reminder of their spirit and the determination to drive positive change that both of these exceptional women encompassed.
"Today, we will also be celebrating our own women in aviation. We are focused on being a fair, diverse, and inclusive employer that attracts the best talent, regardless of gender.
"We’re committed to creating an environment that allows women to thrive in the workplace, by ensuring we have a gender balance in leadership positions, as well as creating a framework for future talent to flourish."
