British Airways and Virgin Atlantic aeroplanes took off at the same time on parallel runways this morning from London Heathrow for New York’s JFK airport.
The reopening of the transatlantic corridor is expected to be a significant boost for both airlines, which have generated most of their profits from these routes in recent years.
Fully vaccinated UK visitors will be allowed to visit the US from today, for the first time since borders were closed by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Before the pandemic, 22mln people a year travelled between the UK and the US.
BA, which is owned by International Consolidated Airlines Group (LSE:IAG), plans to reinstate most of its transatlantic network by the start of next summer.
“We will look to reinstate most of our transatlantic network by the time we get into the summer season,” BA chief executive Sean Doyle told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “So we are recruiting people back into the business. We are looking to expand our staff and our aircraft from what it is today.”
“This is a huge milestone in the recovery of aviation from the pandemic,” Doyle said. “The north Atlantic is a critical part of the UK’s networks.”
IAG, which also owns Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling, warned last week that it will lose another €3bn this year and described the resumption of transatlantic travel as “pivotal” to reviving its business.
Meanwhile, Virgin last year agreed a £1.2bn rescue deal with creditors to see it through the pandemic.
Vaccinated US travellers have been able to travel to Britain since the summer, when the UK lifted pandemic travel restrictions.
Airlines are now increasing schedules and there are full planes this week for the first time, reported the Guardian.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the opening of transatlantic travel was a “historic event” and “marks a significant moment for the aviation sector”.
BA’s Doyle said the two carriers were setting aside rivalry to take off together “to mark the vital importance of the transatlantic corridor”.
“Transatlantic connectivity is vital for the UK’s economic recovery, which is why we’ve been calling for the safe reopening of the UK-US travel corridor for such a long time. We must now look forward with optimism, get trade and tourism back on track, and allow friends and families to connect once again,” he added.
Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive, said: “Today is a time for celebration, not rivalry. The US has been our heartland for more than 37 years and we are simply not Virgin without the Atlantic.”
Weiss said the airline’s battle for survival was “still with us, and cost discipline remains. But with the opening of the US market, we’re at 60% of our capacity, and we feel more confident than in a long time about the prospects”.
Shares in IAG dropped almost 2% to 176.74p, having flown over 8% higher last week in anticipation of the transatlantic restart.