News: Virgin profits from Terminal 5 problems
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Flights > News > # 1791 (10/06/2008)
Virgin Atlantic claimed yesterday it was still experiencing a ticket sales boost in the aftermath of the farcical opening of Heathrow Terminal 5.
The airline said it was seeing strong sales on services to the Caribbean and the US despite a downturn in consumer confidence and rising fuel surcharges, driven by the high cost of oil.
Speaking in an interview with The Guardian newspaper, Virgin Atlantic’s director of communications, Paul Charles, said: “We have definitely taken market share post-T5. There is still massive demand to fly long-haul to countries where the pound is strong and the dollar is weak, such as the Caribbean and the US.”
British Airways, the only tenant at T5, reported a 0.7% drop in traffic last month compared to a rise of 6% for Virgin Atlantic.
However, it said its most profitable customers were still flying in large numbers, with premium sales on long-haul routes ahead of the same period last year. Virgin Atlantic said premium sales in May were up 10% for the second successive month.
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