Virgin Atlantic insists that it is still planning to launch new flights to Seoul in South Korea on 29 March next year, but ticket sales have been paused.
The airline confirmed the launch of the new route in April, saying seats would go on sale on 14 May.
However, in a new message on its website , the airline said: “While we’re putting the final touches in place, sales are on pause. We’ll be up and running again soon, and can’t wait to welcome you onboard.”
It added: “Daily flights from London Heathrow launch from 29th March ‘26, opening up the best of South Korea in true Virgin Atlantic style.”
The flights are due to be operated by a Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner aircraft, and, together with its Sky Team alliance partner Korean Air, Virgin is planning to offer connections from Seoul to over 15 cities in South Korea as well as to Japan, Australia, New Zealand and southeast Asia.
When it announced the new route, Virgin said it marked ‘a major milestone’ in its ‘continued growth across Asia’ as it followed recent launches to Dubai, the Maldives and additional flights to India.
It seems unlikely it will shelve the service, as Virgin received the Heathrow slots specifically to operate the new route to Seoul from the Competition and Mergers Authority in 2023, as a condition of Korean Air’s takeover of rival Asiana in 2023.
Travel Gossip has approached Virgin for a comment.
