Virgin Atlantic is set to launch a new daily service from London to Seoul, South Korea, with the first flight set to begin on March 29, 2026.
In a statement released on April 23, 2025, the airline said the new service will use Boeing 787-9 aircraft to connect Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul with London-Heathrow Airport (LHR).
According to the airline, the new service to Seoul will enhance connections to East Asia and create new ones with SkyTeam members Vietnam Airlines, China Eastern, China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Xiamen Airlines. Passengers will be able to connect to 15 cities through Seoul Incheon including locations in South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.
First arrival in Riyadh
Virgin Atlantic also used the opportunity to announce that it has landed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the first time. Since March 30, 2025, the airline offers daily flights to King Khalid International Airport (RUH). The service is conducted with Airbus A330-900neo aircraft.
“Our new service is launching in time to participate in Saudi Vision 2030 and ensuring growth,” Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic said in a statement on LinkedIn. “In my first visit in September last year, I had the chance to witness first-hand how the KSA is transforming rapidly, including an expanded downtown business district and UNESCO World Heritage site in Diriyah. It is truly a country and city in transformation.”
Weiss said passengers will be able to use the new Riyadh service to connect to North America via the airline’s hub at Heathrow, or through Riyadh to cities across Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
According to the airline, the market is expected to have a “predominantly Saudi Arabian point of sale,” with customers traveling to the country and easily connecting to 12 North American cities through Virgin Atlantic and Delta, such as Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas, Seattle, Boston, and Detroit.
The airline also added that it is looking forward to “deepening its partnership” with Riyadh Air when it begins operations in 2025.
