By the Caribbean Journal staff

Virgin Atlantic’s Caribbean expansion has continued with a new nonstop route from London Heathrow Airport.

The inaugural service took off this week from Heathrow, bringing 260 passengers to Barbados.

“We are thrilled to have a new direct flight route from London Heathrow to accommodate the increase in tourist arrivals to the island,” said Cheryl Carter, director of the United Kingdom arm of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. “With a full annual calendar of diverse events and activities taking place on the island, it is our hope that this new route will also encourage new visitors to visit and experience first-hand, what Barbados has to offer.”

The flight is operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays through April 2018, according to a statement from BTMI.

“The Caribbean has always been a core market for Virgin Atlantic and we’re excited to be offering more choices to our customers with the option of flying from Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester direct to Barbados,” said Shai Weiss, chief commercial officer at Virgin Atlantic.

Virgin Atlantic now has a total of 11 flights per week to Barbados from United Kingdom airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester.

Virgin footprint in Barbados will also soon expand with the launch of “Departure Beach,” a beachfront departure lounge aimed at bridging the gap between hotel check-out and airport check-in.