TORONTO — Virgin Atlantic has appointed Simon Hawkins as its new Vice President, Americas, effective Oct. 1, 2024.

In his expanded role, Hawkins, who has been at Virgin Atlantic for 17 years, will oversee Virgin Atlantic teams across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. His cross-functional leadership will span Commercial, Airports, Finance, People and more, across 20 destinations. He will also work with leaders in the UK to develop and execute the airline’s regional strategy.

This year alone, Hawkins has been responsible for more than £1 billion of Americas revenue, including record sales from the U.S. point of sale.

On his new role, Hawkins said: “I am incredibly excited to take on this new challenge. The Americas region at Virgin Atlantic is one of the most important revenue drivers, and collectively this team has delivered record-breaking achievements across the business. We look forward to continuing a successful trajectory through the end of year and into 2025. I look forward to building on this with our extraordinary team and our partners across the region including our Atlanta-based colleagues at Delta.”

Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic, added: “We are delighted to appoint Simon to VP, Americas, representing our US heartland including key business and leisure gateways from New York to Los Angeles and premium sun destinations across Florida to the Caribbean. Simon has played a fundamental role in our return to profitability leading North American sales with record-breaking revenue months throughout the summer. I know he’ll bring enthusiasm, insight, and ambition to our Commercial Leadership Team.”

Travelweek recently caught up with Hawkins in Toronto last month to celebrate Virgin Atlantic’s upcoming return to the Canadian market. Starting March 30, 2025, the airline will operate a new daily route between Toronto Pearson and London Heathrow. To read the interview, click here.