Today Virgin Atlantic and Sir Richard Branson are re-creating the inaugural flight from the 22nd June 1984 to celebrate 25 years in the sky. Many of the same high-profile celebrities who travelled on the flight 25 years ago will be back on board today, flying from London Heathrow to Newark, New York. Celebrities such as Ian Botham and Christopher Biggins who were on the 1984 flight will be joined by 2009 personalities including Jessica Taylor and Kevin Peitersen. In addition, Richard Branson will be ‘walking the wing’ of the plane with a high profile celebrity to be revealed on the morning of the flight itself. Since 1984, 65 million passengers have flown on Virgin Atlantic and despite the cost of living more than doubling over 25 years, Virgin’s fares on New York flights have come down. The flights to New York (excl. taxes and charges) were £119 in 1984 and in 2009 the same flight retails at £103. Sir Richard Branson is available to comment on turbulent times for the aviation industry including how Virgin is making a profit in the toughest ever global trading conditions. He will also be discussing how British Airways record loses have prompted the company to ask more than 30,000 staff to take unpaid leave or work for free to help the airline to survive. Distributed by Tubemogul.
