Passengers uplifted by Virgin Atlantic in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2022

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Virgin Atlantic Airways experienced a drastic decline in the number of passengers, which amounted to only 1.14 million in 2020 and 1.07 million in 2021. As of 2022, the airline company was uplifted 4.15 million travelers.

Virgin Atlantic Airways - additional information

Founded in 1984, Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited is a British airline with its headquarters located in Crawley, UK. Virgin Atlantic is majority-owned by the Virgin Group and is based at Heathrow Airport. In 2022, Virgin Atlantic employed just under eight thousand people and generated roughly 2.9 billion British pounds in revenue. The airline incurred a over 338 million British pounds loss in that same year.

Impact of COVID-19 on European aviation

The large decline in passenger numbers and the financial performance of many airlines was caused by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, numerous countries implemented various restrictions and regulations relative to travel aimed curbing the spread of the virus. As a result, commercial airlines in Europe reported net losses amounting to 34.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. However, since late 2020, the operations and performance of the airline companies have been improving. European commercial airlines are forecasted to have a net profit of 9.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.