What’s happening with transatlantic air travel?

What’s happening with transatlantic air travel? What are the secrets to success and the challenges for carriers? Could it be the latest long-haul offerings from Airbus? Mark Broadbent reports

On flight-tracking apps the Atlantic Ocean looks like an airborne equivalent of a bustling motorway, with hundreds of flights crossing daily between Europe and North America.

Carriers on both sides of the Atlantic have resumed transatlantic services in the last few months and plan to add further capacity – but what about the uncertainty posed by the Omicron variant of COVID-19?

British Airways
Atlantic return: British Airways and Virgin Atlantic A350s (G-XWBG operating as BAW1, and G-VJAM ‘Queen Of Hearts’ as VIR3N, respectively) depart Heathrow simultaneously on November 8, 2021 to mark the resumption of flights to the US – more than 600 days after the US travel ban was implemented
British Airways

 

Huge popularity

According to the air navigation services provider NATS, before COVID-19 there was an average of 1,300 daily flights across the North Atlantic – making it the world’s busiest area of oceanic airspace.

Become a Premium Member to Read More

This is a premium article and requires an active Key.Aero subscription to view.

I’m an existing member, sign me in!

I don’t have a subscription…

Enjoy the following subscriber only benefits:

  • Unlimited access to all KeyAero content
  • Exclusive in-depth articles and analysis, videos, quizzes added daily
  • A fully searchable archive – boasting hundreds of thousands of pieces of quality aviation content
  • Access to read all our leading aviation magazines online - meaning you can enjoy the likes of FlyPast, Aeroplane Monthly, AirForces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, Aviation News, Airports of the World, PC Pilot and Airliner World - as soon as they leave the editor’s desk.
  • Access on any device- anywhere, anytime
  • Choose from our offers below