Virgin Atlantic Cargo will fly to South America for the first time with services between London Heathrow and Sao Paulo Guarulhos in 2020.
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be operated on the daily London – Sao Paulo flight, offering considerable cargo capacity and giving customers direct access to South America’s largest import and export market.
The new service aims to capitalise on the fast-growing Brazilian economy and Sao Paulo’s standing as the country’s commercial capital and a top 20 global economic city.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo expects to carry regular shipments of car parts, pharmaceuticals, food and agricultural products.
Dominic Kennedy, managing director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo says: “Sao Paulo is a fantastic route for our cargo customers, with high demand for both import and export capacity. Brazil is the Powerhouse of South America and we are excited to be flying to this continent for the first time.”
Sao Paulo is the second new route announcement of the year, following the new that Virgin Atlantic Cargo will begin daily Heathrow – Tel Aviv flights on 25 September.
Kennedy continues: “Alongside the launch of Tel Aviv services in September, this new phase of growth for Virgin Atlantic means we are giving customers more choice to two of the world’s most dynamic cargo markets at a time when both are enjoying increasing prosperity, driven by their thriving business and consumer communities.”
In 2019, Virgin will welcome the first four of 12 Airbus A350-1000s, delivering a 10-22% improvement in lower deck cargo capacity depending on the aircraft’s configuration.
This year will also see Virgin moving to new cargo terminal at Heathrow, twice the size of its existing operation, and invest in digital technologies to give customers new self-service options.
