The service is timed to take advantage of peak-season demand by general cargo and perishable exporters in the U.K. and U.S. consumer markets. The airline has operated daily flights out of Cape Town every winter since December 1999. They are in addition to Virgin Atlantic's year-round daily passenger and cargo flights between Johannesburg and London Heathrow. Exports moving in the trade include general cargo, fish and fresh fruits to the U.K. Virgin Atlantic operates Airbus A340-300 planes on the route, with 17 metric tons of cargo capacity. During the summer, the carrier routes Cape Town traffic onto its flights from Johannesburg to London.
