Virgin Atlantic announced Wednesday that it is permanently pulling out of Hong Kong, dropping flights to the Asian hub, and shuttering its offices after 30 years.
The UK company cited a string of factors as reasons behind the decision, including issues arising from Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
“After careful consideration, we’ve taken the difficult decision to suspend our London Heathrow to Hong Kong services and close our Hong Kong office, after almost 30 years of proudly serving this Asian hub city,” an airline spokesperson said in a statement.
The airline said that “ongoing Russian airspace closure,” which would result in Heathrow to Hong Kong flight times being extended by between one an two hours had also played a part in its decision….