Virgin Atlantic has reopened its onboard bars following a 15-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The communal areas in Upper Class cabins are being used on flights serving countries on the Government’s green and amber travel lists, including Antigua, Barbados and Grenada.

They include a facility named The Loft on the airline’s newest aircraft, the Airbus A350, which features a 32-inch television.

Enjoy a drink and catch up with friends

Virgin Atlantic said social distancing is in place in the bars “where possible”, but passengers are permitted to remove their face coverings when eating or drinking.

The airline’s chief customer and operations officer, Corneel Koster, said: “Our onboard bars and social spaces are a signature part of our Upper Class experience so I’m delighted we’re finally able to reopen them to our customers, where they can enjoy a drink and catch up with friends.

“I know our cabin crew teams can’t wait to get back to providing our customers with the full Upper Class service we’re famous for and that’s been missed by many over the last 15 months.”

Monday’s reopening coincides with the lifting of the requirement for pubs and bars in England to operate with table service only.