Virgin Atlantic has returned to the black. The group reported a £14.4 million ($21.4 million) profit (pre tax and exceptional items) for the year of 2014. This represents a £65.4 million ($97.3 million) improvement from the £51 million ($75.9 million) pre-tax loss for the year of 2013. The airline issued this statement:
For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Group is reporting a profit before tax and exceptional items of £14.4 million, representing an improvement of £65.4 million on the previous year’s financial performance.
The results confirm that Virgin Atlantic has delivered on the target it set in February 2013 to return to profit within two years. It is now looking to the future and positioning the business for future growth and sustained profitability whilst making significant investment in customer experience.


The increased transatlantic flying follows a network review undertaken by Virgin Atlantic in 2014 which led to its exit from several loss-making routes. The airline also took the decision to withdraw its domestic operation Little Red, with flights between Heathrow and Manchester ceasing later this month and Heathrow and Edinburgh and Aberdeen stopping in September 2015. New routes will be launched this summer between MAN and ATL, LHR and DTW, and LGW and TAB, as well as a series of seasonal flights between BFS and MCO and GLA and LAS. There will also be increased frequency in services between LHR and major US destinations including SFO, LAX, ATL and JFK.