EasyJet Enters Marriage of Convenience With Virgin

(Bloomberg) -- EasyJet Plc has partnered with Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. for connections at its London Gatwick base, giving passengers on mainland Europe easy access to routes across the Atlantic.

Connecting with Virgin flights will open up destinations including Las Vegas, Orlando, Antigua and St. Lucia, the carriers said in a joint statement on Tuesday. Similar agreements are already in place with the likes of Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, Canada’s WestJet and Singapore Airlines Ltd.

EasyJet is using its network of centrally located airports across Europe to offer the connectivity that has typically been a burden for legacy airlines. Flag carriers have often incurred losses from running short flights designed to fill their more profitable long-haul routes.

The Luton, England-based airline is expecting to pen further deals with Mideast carriers and competitors in the Far East before the end of this year, it said in a statement Tuesday. It’s also due to expand its connection service, dubbed “Worldwide by EasyJet,” to additional airports.

To contact the reporter on this story: Benjamin Katz in London at bkatz38@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.net, Andrew Noël

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