Virgin Atlantic (VS, London Heathrow) has announced it will begin flights to Seoul Incheon in late March 2026, making good on a deal nutted out between it, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and Korean Air (KE, Seoul Incheon). The latter carrier agreed to make slots at Heathrow and Incheon available to another operator, in this case Virgin Atlantic, to allow it to start daily London-Seoul flights. The concession helped persuade the CMA to approve Korean Air's merger with Asiana Airlines (OZ, Seoul Incheon).

The service will be Virgin Atlantic's only route to Asia, having axed flights to Shanghai Pudong in October 2024 and never resuming Hong Kong International services after the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline also once flew to Tokyo Narita but ended those flights in 2014.

The CMA deal requires Virgin Atlantic to fly to Seoul for three years. In February, the authority gave it extra time to start the flights after the airline asked for more time and gave legally binding assurances it would begin the service by the start of the 2026 northern summer.

The flights, which Virgin Atlantic says will attract a predominantly leisure customer and tap into the networks of other Skyteam carriers at Seoul, will be operated by B787-9s that feature a three-cabin layout. The other operators on the London-Seoul route are Korean Air and Asiana.

In related news, after suspending flights several times in the past 18 months, Virgin Atlantic says it will end Tel Aviv Ben Gurion services, citing security concerns.