Virgin Atlantic Reaches One Million Passengers

In September 1987, we carried our one-millionth transatlantic passenger, reaching the milestone just over three years after launching Virgin Atlantic's first service between London Gatwick and Newark in June 1984. The achievement reflected the growth of our airline during its early years, as we established ourselves in the competitive transatlantic market. By this time, our network had expanded to include Miami, introduced in 1986, and our fleet had grown to two Boeing 747 aircraft. These developments enabled us to carry more passengers between the United Kingdom and the United States while continuing to offer an alternative to larger, established airlines. Our emphasis on competitive fares, attentive service and a distinctive onboard experience helped attract travellers to the Virgin Atlantic brand. Reaching one million passengers demonstrated the growing demand for our services and provided an early measure of the airline's commercial progress. It also reflected the increasing recognition of Virgin Atlantic among transatlantic travellers as we continued to develop our route network and operations.