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"Virgin Atlantic"
Boeing’s new groundbreaking 787 Dreamliner flew into Heathrow just before midnight as part of a world promotional tour for the aircraft.
Airline chiefs and suppliers were amongst the visitors who toured the jet which has put new emphasis on fuel efficiency and passenger experience.
It enters service with Thomson next year and with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic shortly after.
Virgin Atlantic has unveiled its new aircraft livery – with the company name emblazoned down the length of the fuselage.
The first jet to display the branding is a Boeing 747-400 but it will be applied to all of Virgin’s 38 aircraft as well as elements of the company’s signage, communication and advertising, the company said.
“We’re a dynamic and innovative British company and our new livery will really make us stand out from the crowd, both in the sky and on the ground at airports all over the world” said the airline’s chief executive Steve Ridgway.
“Despite the most challenging economic conditions that we have encountered for some time, this is just one of many design projects that Virgin Atlantic has invested in. We have been working behind the scenes with British designers to re-ignite our brand and are developing new designs for the entire fleet of A330s due to come into service next year” he said.
The Virgin Atlantic name, previously on the front end of the fuselage will be displayed large across the whole of the aircraft in a fine custom drawn font. In addition, the undercarriage of the aircraft will feature the new Virgin Atlantic logo in dark purple – making the aircraft more easily identifiable when taking off and landing. The winglets are now red with the Virgin script on the inner side, visible to passengers on board the plane.
A statement said that the new livery uses an entirely new paint system which is unique to Virgin Atlantic – a first on commercial aircraft. It has been specially developed to achieve a highly reflective depth of metallic colour.
The painting process has been simplified, using fewer maskings and applications for a drastic reduction in materials used. Over 450 litres of paint was used and took over 3,000 – 3,500 man hours to paint. The new paint is more durable so aircraft will only require re-painting once a decade.
The iconic, flag carrying flying lady, who appears on all Virgin Atlantic aircraft, has been rejuvenated with a subtle cosmetic makeover and enhanced detailing – now fluttering a larger Union Jack.
London brand agency Circus was commissioned in 2008 to review and refine the Virgin Atlantic brand values. The new livery and logo were developed by award winning design consultancy, Johnson Banks, in collaboration with the in-house brand design team, led by Joe Ferry and Nina Jenkins, and was created using the brand values defined by Circus.
Michael Johnson, Creative Director, Johnson Banks, said
“We’ve tried hard to retain the essential elements of Virgin Atlantic’s first twenty five years and refine them for the future. We’ve adapted the ‘tail fin’ to make it easier to use and to reflect a simpler and more elegant shape. The logotype has been replaced with a thinner and more elegant design that reinstates the pride in Virgin Atlantic’s full name, and supplies more flexibility across a myriad applications.”
Joe Ferry, Head of Design for Virgin Atlantic, commented:
“It is essential that we set a firm, confident foundation for the future of the Virgin Atlantic brand, one which is relevant in the new commercial environment. It’s critical that we portray and live our differentiating brand values.
“Last time Virgin Atlantic launched a new livery and corporate identity was in 2005.”
Dejected after a disappointing World Cup performance, the England football squad arrived at Heathrow after an overnight flight from South Africa.
The event was low-key and muted – in sharp contrast to the highly-publicised departure just a few weeks earlier.
There were no fans – just staff and a handful of airport media to welcome the dawn Virgin Atlantic flight which touched down at around 0620 in front of the airport’s Royal Suite.
One of the first off was David Beckham, unable to play because of inury, followed by Wayne Rooney, Dave Gerrard and the other players.
Manager Fabio Capello was amongst the last off the aircraft and many wives, girlfriends, children, FA staff and others had joined the players for the journey home.
Sixty Virgin Atlanic staff have set off to Nairobi in a bid to climb Mount Kenya for charity.
The group,which includes pilots, cabin crew and ground staff, is aiming to climb the 5000 meter summit and raise over £34,000 for a Kenyan village school fund. The building of classrooms and provision of textbooks, school kits, desks and blackboards will come directly from this event.
“I am very proud to see so many staff rising to the challenge and giving so much more than just monetary donations. There is no doubt that the challenge will be gruelling at times but it also promises to be a memorable experience for all of them. The proceeds of their efforts will affect long-term change in the Kenyan village of Sikirar and I wish them the very best of luck” said Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive.
The proceeds of the fundraising will help support the airline’s charity partner, Free the Children. In addition to the building of classrooms, the charity will fund the construction of clean piped water for the whole community along with new latrines, handwashing stations and education on water and sanitation.
A mobile health clinic, health workshops and the construction of community gardens and tree planting are also planned.
Sikirar has a population of 2,200 but has been badly ravaged by famine and suffers from inadequate infrastructure.
Virgin Atlantic is planning to launch a new service between Heathrow and Accra, the capital of Ghana, from 24 May 2010.
The airline plans to operate three services a week, subject to government approval, using an Airbus A340-300 aircraft with 240 seats onboard -34 Upper Class, 35 Premium Economy and 171 Economy.
Steve Ridgway, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, said: “We are delighted that we are able to launch services to this fast growing and vibrant capital city with its historic links to Britain, thriving economy and growing oil and gas industry. Nearly 200,000 people fly between London and Accra each year and our new services will give them more choice and better value for money.
“Ghana is a beacon for economic success in West Africa, and with Africa showing greater economic resilience and growth than other global regions, we are thrilled that this will be our fifth route in Africa. We look forward to offering the best possible service to travellers between Ghana, the UK and the United States,” he said.
The London-Accra route is currently served by British Airways and Ghana Airways. The new Virgin service will operate from Terminal 3.
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