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 Atlantic Challenge Trophy record holder, and "Destriero", from the Aga Khan. In the event, only "Destriero" made the crossing, setting a new record with an average speed of 53 knots (the time was not comparable, as the route taken, from Tarifa, Spain to New York, was longer). Despite rumours of new challengers with radical hull designs "Destriero"s record remains unbroken. Virgin Atlantic Challenge Trophy The Virgin Atlantic Challenge Trophy is an award for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing by a surface vessel, one of several such awards that have grown out of the contest for the prestigious Blue Riband of the Atlantic. The trophy