Virgin Atlantic is set to launch its first domestic service in the UK with a flight from London and Manchester. The company is planning to operate three flights everyday from London Heathrow to Manchester starting March 31 next year. The company between Heathrow and the North West will be launched during the spring of next year through a Airbus A319 aircraft.

Steve Ridgway, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Virgin Atlantic said that the decision to launch the domestic service on the route was taken after the takeover of mi by British Airways' parent company. Many believe that the domestic service is to compensate for the loss of Virgin Trains between the two cities in England.

"Since bmi was swallowed up by British Airways, the competition that existed on domestic routes and European routes has disappeared. Virgin Atlantic has obviously provided great competition over the years internationally on the long-haul routes and this is about redressing that as part of the process of making sure that BA doesn't become a monopolist on all the routes bmi used to fly," said Mr Ridgway.

He said that 650,000 passengers fly from Manchester to London Heathrow and on to other destinations from around the world and with the takeover of bmi, the passengers would have had only one choice. The launch of Virgin Atlantic service on the route will preserve competition, he asserted.