Virgin Atlantic Cargo is set to benefit from the overall airline’s order of 14 Airbus A330-900neos – the first UK airline to place an order for the aircraft. The new aircraft will provide customers with a capacity boost, while they will also be 13 per cent more fuel and carbon efficient than the A330-300 they replace, and will deliver a 50 per cent reduction in airport noise contour.

Dominic Kennedy, Managing Director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo, said: “We expect the A330-900neos to be another fantastic aircraft for cargo and will support our projected growth in the years ahead. This also includes our new contract for Accenture’s latest AFLS 8.0 cargo management platform to enable customers to interact with us digitally, the opening of our new state-of-the-art cargo facility dnata City East at Heathrow in September and the arrival of the airline’s first Airbus A350-1000’s this summer.”

“Alongside our upcoming new routes to Tel Aviv, Mumbai and Sao Paulo, there has never been a more exciting time to be a customer of Virgin Atlantic Cargo as we focus on, and invest in, long-term growth and delivering outstanding customer service,” Kennedy added. The aircraft will operate on both business and leisure routes for the airline worldwide with bases at London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester Airports.