Virgin Atlantic Airways
Hello Atlanta!
Virgin Atlantic Airways chairman Richard Branson introduced the airline's new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to the flying public recently in a ceremony at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The adventurous entrepreneur not only showed off the Dreamliner, but also unveiled brand-new daily service between the airline's home base in London and the Georgia state capital. Atlanta is home to Delta Airlines, which purchased 49% of Virgin Atlantic Airways in 2013 for $360 million.
Christened "Birthday Girl" by Virgin Atlantic in honor of the 30th anniversary of the airline's first flight from London Gatwick Airport to Newark Liberty in June of 1984, the 787 entered service this week, flying between London Heathrow and Boston.
Virgin's Boeing 787-9 fleet will carry up to 264 passengers in 3 separate classes - Upper Class, Premium Economy, and Economy. The Dreamliner is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Trent turbofan engines and will have a maximum range of 8,500 nautical miles.
Virgin's debut Dreamliner will be the first stretched 787-9 to fly with a European Airline and will be one of 15 to enter the airline's fleet by 2018. So far, the only other airlines to operate the larger Dreamliner are All Nippon Airways, Air New Zealand, and United Airlines.