Virgin Atlantic is set to increase its cargo-only flying this January as the airline continues to adapt and leverage on its cargo operations, with recovery in passenger traffic yet again curtailed by the UK’s latest lockdown as well as travel restrictions in other destinations.

Virgin Atlantic Cargo has increased its capacity on key routes from 21 to 33 cargo-only rotations per week this month – an increase of 60 percent. This includes daily flights between London and Brussels which would allow same-day shipments within Europe.

The carrier said the increase in scheduled operations comes on the back of a ‘historic and record-breaking year’ in 2020. Virgin Atlantic’s cargo business operated 4,000 cargo-only flights and launched 10 new routes, including Beijing and Xiamen in China, which for the carrier is an ‘unprecedented feat during turbulent operating conditions and demanding trading environments.’

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“The growth in our cargo-only flying this January demonstrates the agility and flexibility of our teams in order to maintain a resilient cargo operation in such dynamic market conditions,” said Dominic Kennedy, managing director at Virgin Atlantic Cargo.

“Despite a decrease in passengers travelling, demand to transport cargo remains strong and we’re delighted to play our part transporting a whole range of goods across the world, keeping vital global supply chains moving,” he added.

The airline continues to transport cargo on its scheduled passenger services, including Islamabad, Lahore, and Tel Aviv, as well as dedicated cargo-only operations to Delhi, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Shanghai in Asia, with dedicated charter services to meet customer needs.

“We’re thankful for the support of our customers throughout an unprecedented 2020 and want to emphasise we are once again here with a broad cargo destination portfolio and charter capability to support 2021 demand.”