Virgin Atlantic Makes Inaugural Flight to Jamaica

Sir Richard Branson donned a Jamaica shirt, his best dreadlocks and an imitation spiff as his airline made its inaugural flight to Jamaica.

Mr. Branson, friends, customers and press were greeted by government officials and a traditional band on the tarmac as the first Virgin Atlantic flight to Montego Bay touched down.

The twice-weekly service from Gatwick will enable 100,000 more people to travel on the route in it´s first year.

The direct flights between London Gatwick and Montego Bay will be twice-weekly and will operate on a Boeing 747-400.

The new services mean up to 100,000 more visitors traveling between the UK and Montego Bay within the first 12 months.

According to the Jamaican Tourist Board, in the first six months of this year the number of UK visitors to Jamaica rose by 19 percent, compared with the first half of 2005. April alone saw a record number of UK visitors with an increase of 35 percent year on year.

Virgin Atlantic flies to 27 destinations worldwide, including Jamaica, with services to Mauritius launching next year. The airline carried five million passengers last year and has 33 aircraft in its fleet with an average age of less than six years.