Virgin Atlantic Launches London–Seoul Daily Service

Virgin Atlantic has confirmed it will begin daily flights between London Heathrow and Seoul Incheon on March 29, 2026, deploying Boeing 787-9 aircraft on the 5,500-mile route. The new service marks the airline’s fifth Asia-Pacific destination, joining its existing network to Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi and Malé. Launching this route was made possible by the seven weekly Heathrow slot pairs Virgin was awarded as a remedy by regulators when Korean Air’s acquisition of Asiana Airlines was approved late last year.

Regulatory concerns over the merger’s impact on competition between the UK and South Korea prompted the UK Competition and Markets Authority to require Korean Air to relinquish slots. Those slots now allow Virgin to reintroduce nonstop service that had been dominated since pre-pandemic times by Korea’s two flag carriers. Prior to 2020, British Airways also flew daily between Heathrow and Incheon but has yet to resume the route.

Virgin’s codeshare partnership with SkyTeam member Korean Air will offer seamless connections beyond Seoul to 15 regional cities. Passengers can travel onward to destinations such as Brisbane and Sydney in Australia; Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo Haneda in Japan; Auckland in New Zealand; Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam; and Hong Kong. This expanded connectivity is expected to strengthen Virgin’s position in the Asia-Pacific market and provide UK travelers with more one-stop options until the daily London-Seoul service debuts.

Data from OAG Schedules Analyser shows Korean Air and Asiana each operate a single daily frequency on the route, using 777-300ER and A350-900 aircraft respectively, together offering around 8,400 two-way weekly seats. Korean Air will add further capacity from July when it introduces three weekly Boeing 747 rotations, pushing total seats above 8,800. By contrast, Virgin’s launch will immediately deliver close to 4,900 weekly seats on the busy corridor and inject new competition into a market long underserved by a UK carrier.

According to Sabre Market Intelligence, total origin-and-destination traffic between the UK and South Korea reached approximately 462,000 two-way travelers in 2024, with about 37 percent flying via indirect routings. Popular one-stop connections included Shanghai, Helsinki and Dubai, indicating strong demand for convenient links. By reinstating a daily nonstop link, Virgin Atlantic aims to capture a share of both leisure and business traffic that has so far relied on connecting itineraries.

The announcement comes amid shifting network priorities for Virgin. Six months ago, the carrier suspended flights to Shanghai—the only mainland China route it operated—citing overflight restrictions on Russia. While the airline continues to adapt its strategy to global airspace challenges, the new Seoul service demonstrates its commitment to rebuilding and diversifying long-haul connectivity from London.

With reservations set to open later this year, Virgin Atlantic expects to leverage the route to boost premium cabin sales and strengthen its loyalty program. The airline plans to offer a blend of economy, premium economy and Upper Class seating, with Upper Class suites featuring fully flat beds and chauffeur service for London departures. By tapping into slots obtained through the Korean Air-Asiana merger remedy, Virgin Atlantic will reenter a strategic market and offer UK travelers direct access to South Korea’s capital, enhancing choice and convenience ahead of the busy 2026 travel season.

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