The first Airbus A330 took off from Manchester Airport on Saturday
Virgin Atlantic launched the first of its new Airbus A330 fleet with an inaugural flight from Manchester Airport to Orlando.
The new plane flew out on Saturday ahead of the airline's opening of a new service to Las Vegas on Sunday.
About 100 jobs have been created in the Manchester area as a result of the expansion of services.
The A330 "Beauty Queen" is one of 10 planes worth US$2.2bn (£1.4bn) being delivered over the next two years.
Julie Southern, chief commercial officer for Virgin Atlantic, said the firm was "very proud" to welcome Beauty Queen to its fleet.
Rolls Royce engines
"After some challenging times for the airline industry it is great news to be expanding again and adding new aircraft to wow our customers.
"Not only does the A330 deliver savings in emissions and fuel consumption, it offers our customers a cutting-edge product which will transform their flying experience."
All Virgin Atlantic A330s will have UK-manufactured Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines.
According to manufacturer Airbus, the aircraft are Virgin's first A330s and seat up to 270 passengers in upper class, premium economy and economy.
- Published11 March 2011
- Published1 September 2010
