Virgin Atlantic flights to São Paulo, Brazil, will be on sale from September 6, with the daily service starting from May 13, 2024.

Return economy fares for the new route start from £686, with prices in the premium cabin from £1,126 and Upper Class from £2,744. Flights take 11 hours and 55 minutes, operating on a Boeing 787 aircraft.

São Paulo is the first route for Virgin Atlantic to South America and is a key hub in Brazil for the airline’s codeshare partner and South America’s largest airline, Latam.

The city is also home to multinational businesses and is known as the foodie capital of Brazil.

Virgin’s partnership with Latam provides passengers with onward connections to more than 50 destinations in South America, including Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Florianopolis.

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic’s SkyTeam alliance partner, Aerolineas Argentinas, provides connections from Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires.

Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: “It’s fitting that our 40th year brings our entry to a brand new continent in South America, symbolising a continued period of network growth for Virgin Atlantic.

“Sao Paulo is the perfect fit for us, a buzzing metropolis of culture and adventure that suits the differing needs of our rich customer base.

“Our partnership with Latam will also unlock further destinations in Brazil and beyond into South America, with Skyteam partner Aerolineas Argentinas opening up a wealth of exciting opportunities for those who choose to fly with Virgin Atlantic.”

Other new services in the pipeline include Bengaluru (Bangalore) which launches in summer 2024 and a seasonal operation from June 2024 to Las Vegas from Manchester.

The airline is returning to Dubai from October.