How Virgin Atlantic and OpenAI are Transforming Aviation
Virgin Atlantic has partnered with OpenAI to add voice-activated AI assistants to its mobile app, becoming the first European airline to use OpenAI’s real-time voice technology.
The collaboration involves conversational AI platform Tomoro.ai and allows passengers to speak directly to their phones instead of typing messages. The partnership sits within a wider digital overhaul that includes fleet-wide Starlink connectivity and expanded premium cabin offerings.
Passengers will speak to the AI assistant through Virgin Atlantic’s mobile app, receiving help with travel planning, airport navigation and enquiries in multiple languages. The system understands spoken questions and responds immediately, similar to speaking with a human customer service agent.
The voice technology marks a departure from text-based chatbots that require typing. Instead, passengers can ask questions naturally and receive answers that become more accurate over time as the system learns from interactions.
Virgin Atlantic implements Starlink across entire fleet by 2027
Virgin Atlantic will implement Starlink satellite internet technology across its entire fleet by the end of 2027, becoming the first UK airline to offer free, unlimited Wi-Fi with streaming-quality speeds. The installation programme will begin in the third quarter of 2026, covering Virgin Atlantic's fleet of Airbus A330neo, A350-1000 and Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Starlink, operated by SpaceX, provides internet connectivity through a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites that deliver higher speeds and lower latency compared to traditional satellite internet systems. Traditional airline Wi-Fi systems rely on geostationary satellites positioned approximately 35,000 kilometres above Earth, resulting in slower speeds and higher latency.
Starlink’s low Earth orbit satellites operate at altitudes between 340 and 1,200 kilometres, reducing signal travel time and enabling streaming video and real-time applications. The service will be available to all passengers who register for the airline's Flying Club loyalty programme, providing connectivity that matches ground-based broadband speeds.
The connectivity upgrade supports Virgin Atlantic’s broader digital strategy, which includes a redesigned mobile application launching in December 2025. The app will integrate airline and holiday booking services, providing passengers with journey notifications and personalised travel recommendations through native iOS and Android features.
OpenAI partnership reflects customer expectation shifts
Matt Weaver, EMEA Head of Solutions Engineering at OpenAI, says that customer expectations have changed since ChatGPT’s launch. “Since the launch of ChatGPT, we've seen a fundamental shift in what customers expect from digital experiences, with the expectation for faster, more natural and more personalised support,” he says.
“Virgin Atlantic’s new digital concierge shows how brands can deliver that, using advanced voice models not just to provide information, but to do so in a way that feels distinctly human and unmistakably Virgin Atlantic.”
The partnership with OpenAI represents Virgin Atlantic’s entry into AI-powered customer service, following similar initiatives by other travel companies. The voice AI technology processes natural language queries and provides contextual responses, learning from passenger interactions to improve service delivery.
Virgin Atlantic announces Joby partnership for electric air taxi services
Virgin Atlantic has also announced a partnership with Joby, an electric air taxi developer, to provide short-haul transport connections between airports and city centres across the UK.
The service, expected to launch before 2030 pending regulatory approval, will use electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to reduce journey times for connecting passengers.
Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, positions the investments as part of the airline's evolution from a challenger brand to a premium carrier. “In the last four decades, we've evolved from a challenger to a leader and a premium, long-haul flag carrier,” Shai says.
Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Chief Experience Officer at Virgin Atlantic, says the announcements provide insight into the company’s future service approach. “Our announcements today provide a snapshot into the future of how we care, serve and delight every single one of our guests,” she says. “Every new product, partnership and platform unveiled has been shaped by guest insight and fuelled by our people’s ingenuity.”
