Virgin Atlantic limit being expressed upon everything associated with starting up operations. Virgin Atlantic became profitable within the first 12 months, aided by sister company Virgin Records' ability to finance the lease of a secondhand Boeing 747. The firm had timed its operations to take advantage of a full summer, from June to September, which was typically the most profitable period of the year. In November 1984 the airline launched a service between Gatwick Airport and Maastricht Aachen Airport in the Netherlands using a chartered BAC One-Eleven. In 1986 the airline added another Boeing 747 to its fleet and started a scheduled
Virgin Balloon Flights Since 1997, Virgin Balloon Flights has been the trading name for AirXcite Limited. In 2006 it acquired a N-355 balloon manufactured by Ultramagic. This new balloon, that takes a of air and can carry a basket with up to 16 passengers, replaced a smaller Cameron 340 balloon. Recently Virgin Balloon Flights expanded to Italy via the sister company of AirXcite, Ballooning in Tuscany, also owned by Kenneth Karlstrom. It now has 3 launch sites in Tuscany (Florence, Siena and Poggibonsi). Virgin Balloon Flights Virgin Balloon Flights, with headquarters in Telford, Shropshire, began flying hot air balloons in 1987 and its