LAUNCHED IN December, Virgin flights from Edinburgh to Barbados will be stopped next month due to poor uptake.

Branded ‘Bagpipes to Barbados’, the route marked the first time Virgin Atlantic has flown international flights from the Scottish capital in its 37-year history and it was Scotland’s only direct flight to the Caribbean.

“This winter, changing travel restrictions and arrival testing requirements set by the UK and Scottish governments led to subdued bookings on the route,” said the airline.

“Following careful review, we’ve taken the difficult decision to shorten the existing Edinburgh-Barbados schedule.”

A spokesperson for the airline added: “Affected customers will be contacted in the coming days with their options, including the choice to convert their booking to a voucher or request a full refund.

“If rerouting is a suitable option, we can also rebook customers on alternative Barbados services from Manchester or Heathrow.

“Those who booked via a third party such as a travel agent should contact them directly for their options.”

There was good news for Virgin travellers heading to Tobago this week however, as flights were relaunched twice weekly, with fares from as little as £389 per person. 

From the end of this month, the route will resume from London Heathrow, departing every Tuesday and Saturday.

Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, commented: “We are thrilled to be able to restart our much-loved services between London Heathrow and Tobago.

“With delicious food, amazing music and stunning views, we know our customers will love exploring this unique island destination. 

“The Caribbean is the linchpin of Virgin Atlantic’s leisure portfolio and we’ve recently introduced a number of new destinations to our flying programme, including The Bahamas, St Lucia and St Vincent and The Grenadines.

“We can’t wait to fly our customers safely to our amazing Caribbean destinations throughout 2022.”