Editing Virgin Atlantic (section)

===Formative years===
[[File:Virgin Atlantic G-VIRG by Steve Fitzgerald.jpg|thumb|[[Boeing 747-200]] ''Maiden Voyager'' operated the first scheduled Virgin Atlantic service on 22 June 1984]]
On 22 June 1984, Virgin Atlantic operated its inaugural scheduled service, flown between Gatwick and Newark using a leased [[Boeing 747-200]] (registration {{nowrap|G-VIRG}}), christened ''Maiden Voyager'',<ref name="Virgin Birth"/> which had been formerly operated by [[Aerolíneas Argentinas]]. From the onset, its activities were augmented by leveraging existing [[Virgin Group]] resources, such as tickets being sold at [[Virgin Megastores]] record shops.<ref name="hilo 09">[https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/bransons-flights-of-fancy-the-highs-and-lows-of-virgin-atlantic-1697795.html "Branson's flights of fancy: The highs and lows of Virgin Atlantic."] ''[[The Independent]]'', 5 June 2009.</ref>

Part of Richard Branson's declared approach to business is to either succeed within the first year or exit the market; this ethos includes a one-year limit on everything associated with starting up operations.<ref>{{cite book |url= http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100965480 |author1=Bamber, G.J. |author2=Gittell, J.H. |author3=Kochan, T.von Nordenflytch, A. |year=2009 |title=Up in the Air: How Airlines Can Improve Performance by Engaging their Employees |publisher=Cornell University Press |location=Ithaca |chapter=chapter 5}}</ref> Virgin Atlantic became profitable within the first 12 months, aided by sister company [[Virgin Records]]' ability to finance the [[aircraft lease|lease]] of a secondhand Boeing&nbsp;747. The firm had timed its operations to take advantage of a full summer, from June to September, typically the most profitable period of the year.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

In November 1984, the airline launched a service between Gatwick Airport and [[Maastricht Aachen Airport]] in the Netherlands using a chartered [[BAC One-Eleven]].<ref>David Cross. "Flying Dutchman-Virgin Atlantic style." Times [London, England] 17 November 1984: 1. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 20 September 2014.</ref>

In 1986, the airline added another Boeing&nbsp;747 to its fleet and started a scheduled route from Gatwick to [[Miami International Airport|Miami]]. Additional aircraft were quickly acquired, and new routes were launched from Gatwick, such as to [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|New York JFK]] in 1988, [[Narita International Airport|Tokyo Narita]] in 1989, [[Los Angeles International Airport|Los Angeles]] in 1990, [[Logan International Airport|Boston]] in 1991, and [[Orlando International Airport|Orlando]] in 1992. In 1987, Virgin Atlantic launched a service between [[Luton Airport|Luton]] and [[Dublin Airport|Dublin]] using secondhand [[Vickers Viscount]] [[turboprop]] aircraft, but this route was withdrawn around 1990. The airline also operated a Viscount service between Maastricht and London Luton Airport in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LTN89intro|url=http://www.departedflights.com/LTN89intro.html|access-date=2021-04-29|website=www.departedflights.com}}</ref> During 1988, [[Club Air]] operated two [[Boeing&nbsp;727]]-100 [[jet aircraft]] on behalf of Virgin Atlantic; these served the Luton-to-Dublin route until about 1990.
<ref>https://www.airliners.net/photo/Club-Air-Virgin-Atlantic-Airways/Boeing-727-46/1143562/L</ref>