Virgin Atlantic accepts first Airbus A350 into its fleet

Red Velvet will feature Virgins new on-board bar, The Loft

Virgin Atlantic (VS/VIR) has officially taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000XWB at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France.

The aircraft, G-VLUX “Red Velvet”, is the first of 12 Airbus A350XWB aircraft for the long-haul airline.

Virgin’s Airbus A350-1000XWB is expected to begin a crew training programme with the airline ahead of its entry into service.

It is set to fly to begin its first regular routing between London Heathrow (LHR/EGKK) and New York (JFK/LJFK) on the 10th September.

The A350-1000XWB is the first Virgin Atlantic aircraft to feature “The Loft”, a new brand new onboard bar area where passengers can relax and mingle with friends or other passengers.

The aircraft is configured with 335 seats across 3 cabins – “Upper Class” Business seats, Premium Economy and Economy.

Virgin has also revamped its “Upper Class” cabin to ensure all seats have a window view and face forward.

Flying the flag for Great Britain, The Airbus A350-1000XWB flies on wings made in Broughton, North Wales and is powered by Derby-made Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines.

Virgin rival British Airways took delivery of its first A350 last week.