VIRGIN Atlantic said it plans to increase its cargo-only operations by 60 per cent, adding an extra 12 rotations per week and bringing its weekly total to 33, reports London's Air Cargo News.

Dedicated all-cargo operations now fly to Antigua, Brussels, Chicago, Delhi, Dublin, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Miami, Mumbai, San Juan in Puerto Rico and Shanghai.

The cargo-only flying includes daily flights between London and Brussels, offering same day European connections for customers, which the carrier hopes will prove important should Brexit related border hold ups occur.

"The growth in our cargo-only flying this January demonstrates the agility and flexibility of our teams in order to maintain a resilient cargo operation in such dynamic market conditions," said Virgin Atlantic Cargo managing director Dominic Kennedy.

The increase in scheduled operations comes as Virgin Atlantic Cargo celebrates a record-breaking year in 2020, with revenues up 50 per cent. Last year, the cargo business operated 4,000 cargo only flights.

The airline also continues to transport cargo on its scheduled passenger services to destinations including Atlanta, Barbados, Boston, New York JFK, Lagos, Islamabad, Lahore, Los Angeles.