Virgin Atlantic to Reconnect London and Accra with New Summer 2025 Service

Published on October 1, 2024

Virgin Atlantic is set to reintroduce flights to Accra, Ghana, in the summer of 2025, marking its return to this route after a 12-year absence. Beginning May 1, 2025, the airline will offer daily flights from London Heathrow (LHR) to Kotoka International Airport (ACC), utilizing Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. This revival comes shortly after the airline’s planned launch of flights to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in March 2025.

With the UK hosting the third-largest Ghanaian diaspora globally—approximately 114,000 Ghanaian-born residents—the route is expected to see strong demand, especially from the visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel segment. Notably, Virgin Atlantic anticipates around 10% of passengers to continue their journeys through London to New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport.

In addition to passenger services, the Accra route is predicted to thrive in cargo operations. Virgin Atlantic plans to offer 30 metric tons of cargo space per flight, supporting the transport of goods like fresh produce between Ghana and key markets in the UK and the U.S. Trade between the UK and Ghana reached £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) in the year leading up to the first quarter of 2024.

Virgin Atlantic will face competition from British Airways on the 3,167-mile (2,752-nautical mile) London Heathrow-Accra route. British Airways currently operates daily flights from Heathrow to Accra with A350-1000s and four weekly flights from London Gatwick with Boeing 777s.