Virgin Atlantic to start flying out of Hartsfield-Jackson

ATLANTA — Passengers will soon have another choice for international travel from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
 
Starting Sunday, Virgin Atlantic will begin daily service to London's Heathrow Airport.
 
Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant spent Thursday sorting out the impact from ticket prices to our region's economy.
           
While Hartsfield-Jackson is the world's busiest airport, only six foreign carriers currently fly into Atlanta. It's why the airport is rolling out the red carpet for Virgin Atlantic.
 
"It's a huge coup for the city of Atlanta," said Hartsfield-Jackson spokesman Reese McCranie. "It's a huge coup for Atlanta's airport."
 
On Oct. 26, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines will transfer one of its three daily nonstop flights between Atlanta and Heathrow airport to Virgin Atlantic.
 
"I think it also says to other airlines that we're talking to about establishing direct service to Atlanta that Atlanta is welcoming other airlines, that we are not just known for hub carriers," McCranie said
 
The president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Hala Moddelmog, told Diamant the British carrier's boutique mystique, top-shelf amenities, and rock-star CEO Sir Richard Branson, may help convince more companies from the UK to set up or expand businesses in Metro-Atlanta
 
"They do attract young millennials," Moddelmog said. "It's seen as a cool airline, and we just had a huge Venture Atlanta event the other day around technology and innovation. Those type of people love to fly Virgin Atlantic, so I think it really is a boon for Atlanta."
 
Moddelmog says there are high hopes for Virgin Atlantic in Atlanta.
 
"We fully expect that we will have expanded flights," Moddelmog said.
 
Delta owns 49 percent of Virgin Atlantic. For Channel 2 consumer adviser Clark Howard there is one certainty.
 
"Virgin coming into Atlanta will have no impact on fares," predicted Howard.
 
However, Howard said he's convinced Virgin Atlantic will help Delta step up its game.
 
"Delta, although they're so good domestically, is not up to standard worldwide. They can learn from Virgin how to run a better international product," Howard said.
 
Channel 2 Action News cameras rolled as Virgin Atlantic's brand new Boeing 787 landed at Hartsfield-Jackson around 6 p.m. Thursday evening.
 
The aircraft is in Atlanta for a Friday afternoon ceremony where Virgin Atlantic executives, including Branson, will join airport leaders and Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed for an official ceremony honoring the airlines first commercial flight to Hartsfield-Jackson.

WSBTV