Virgin Atlantic Upgrades Johannesburg Route with A350-1000 and Extra Frequencies
Virgin Atlantic is expanding its Johannesburg - London Heathrow service as the airline marks 30 years of flying to South Africa. From 25 October 2026, the airline's Airbus A350-1000 will replace the current aircraft on its daily service, operating as VS449 westbound and VS450 eastbound. From 13 December, three additional weekly return flights will be added, operated by Boeing 787-9 aircraft, increasing capacity ahead of the festive and Southern Hemisphere summer travel period.
The expanded schedule brings the total Johannesburg - London Heathrow operation to ten weekly flights. The additional services - VS461 and VS462 - will operate on alternating days to provide near-daily connectivity across the week. Passengers travelling on selected VS450 anniversary-period departures will be eligible for complimentary cabin upgrades, subject to availability and conditions. Virgin Atlantic is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, offering onward connections across the alliance network via London Heathrow.
Source: Getaway
