Photo: TAT Virgin Atlantic has launched a seasonal nonstop service between London Heathrow and Phuket, adding another direct link between the UK and one of Thailand’s most popular holiday destinations for the 2026–2027 winter season.
The inaugural flight, VS214, departed Heathrow on October 18 and arrived at Phuket International Airport on October 19. The service operates three times a week and is scheduled to continue until March 26, 2027.
Photo: TATFlights leave London on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 15:45, arriving in Phuket at 09:55 the following morning. Return services depart Phuket on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 11:45, landing at Heathrow at 19:25.
Representatives from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phuket International Airport and Virgin Atlantic welcomed arriving passengers at a ceremony marking the route’s launch. Passengers received commemorative souvenirs.
Photo: TATThe launch was also marked at Heathrow, where TAT’s London office organised an event called Amazing Phuket Send Off. The ceremony featured Thai classical dance and Phuket-themed displays and was attended by Thailand’s ambassador to the UK, Nadhavathna Krishnamra, alongside Virgin Atlantic representatives. According to TAT, all 258 seats on the inaugural flight were occupied.
Photo: TATAmong the passengers were 29 representatives from Barrhead Travel, led by managing director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell. They were travelling as part of TAT’s Joint Agent: Top Sellers familiarisation trip, designed to give UK travel sellers first-hand experience of Thai destinations and tourism products.
TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa, Chiravadee Khunsub, said the new service would give UK travellers more direct access to Phuket during the winter season.
She said the authority was working with airlines and travel trade partners to turn additional capacity into higher-value tourism, noting that UK visitors tend to stay longer and spend more per trip. The aim is to generate benefits for Phuket and neighbouring destinations while encouraging visitors to explore beyond the island.
Photo: TATThe new route complements existing air links between the UK and Thailand. Thai Airways International and EVA Air together operate 21 weekly flights between Heathrow and Bangkok, while British Airways, TUI and Norse Atlantic Airways offer seasonal services to Bangkok and Phuket from London Gatwick and Manchester.
TAT’s London office also partnered with Virgin Atlantic on a marketing campaign targeting travel in late 2026 and early 2027. The campaign included digital advertising, Thailand-themed promotions at Virgin Atlantic Holidays outlets, email newsletters and in-store displays. TAT reported that it generated 9,079 bookings on the London Heathrow–Phuket route and at least 5.41 million audience exposures.
The UK is among Thailand’s five highest tourism revenue-generating markets. In 2025, arrivals from the UK exceeded one million for the first time, generating 74.515 billion baht in tourism revenue, a 21.7% increase year on year.
Between January 1 and September 3, 2026, Thailand welcomed 682,684 visitors from the UK. British travellers stay an average of 14.18 days and spend 61,615 baht per person per trip, according to TAT figures.
Phuket, Krabi, Bangkok, Surat Thani and Chiang Mai are among the leading destinations for UK visitors, reflecting demand for beach holidays alongside cultural experiences, food, wellness and nature-based travel.