Airline tackles credit crunch blues

[January 5th 2009]

Virgin Atlantic is fighting back against what it calls the doom and gloom in the airline industry.

The airline celebrates its 25th birthday this year and is promising to mark the anniversary with a series of special air fares, campaigns and events, “as well as promoting red hot fares to red hot destinations”.

Virgin Atlantic first started flying on June 22nd 1984, when it launched its first flight to New York. Since then more than 65 million passengers have flown with the airline. Virgin now flies to 30 destinations around the world from its main bases at Heathrow and Gatwick airports using a fleet of Airbus A340 and Boeing 747 aircraft.

To demonstrate its optimism in the light of the difficult times facing airlines, Virgin is today launching a new £6 million advertising campaign intended to highlight why the airline is still going strong after 25 years of flying.

Virgin’s new TV commercial is set in 1984 and shows glamorous Virgin Atlantic flight attendants and a pilot waling through the airport before boarding the airline’s inaugural flight to New York.

Viewers with a taste for nostalgia will recognise some of the iconic ‘80s images in the commercial, including a Rubik’s Cube, mobile phones the size of bricks, Our Price Records and the Asteroids video game.

“We’re fighting back against the doom and gloom in the airline industry. While our competitors are feeling down in the dumps, our passengers want us to celebrate the transformation we’ve brought about in the industry since our launch in 1984,” comments Virgin Atlantic chief executive, Steve Ridgway.

“You can count on Virgin Atlantic to raise spirits with some of our lowest fares ever and look into the future with optimism, as we did 25 years ago,” Ridgway adds.

Virgin Atlantic is one of a number of airlines which recently launched New Year sales, leading some commentators to predict an airline price war. Virgin’s offers include flights to New York from £258, Chicago from £288, Orlando from £308 and Los Angeles from £338. Outside the US, the airline is offering fares to Dubai from £298, Mumbai from £329, and Delhi from £359.

Written by: Nick Purdom

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