Virgin Atlantic will axe its Sydney-Hong Kong service in May, with the route “no longer considered profitable”.
The airline will operate its last Hong Kong to Sydney service on May 4, and its last Sydney to Hong Kong service on May 5.
It will leave British Airways as the sole European carrier operating to Australia.
“Despite the best efforts of our employees, external factors such as increasing costs and a weakening Australian dollar have affected our profitability,” chief executive Craig Kreeger said.
“These are still difficult times for the airline industry and as part of our strategy to operate more efficiently, we need to deploy our aircraft to routes with the right level of demand to be financially viable.”
Some of the airline’s staff based in both Hong Kong and Sydney will be impacted by the decision, with the consultation period for those affected already underway.
Virgin advised passengers, including codeshare passengers, travelling after May 5 to contact the airline or their travel agent to discuss alternate options.
The airline will continue to operate services between London Heathrow and Hong Kong.
