British Tourists in Central Florida Overwhelm British Airways, Virgin Atlantic

British tourists seeking to return home from Central Florida are overwhelming flight schedules of their nation’s carriers, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, according to Orlando International Airport’s spokeswoman.

The carriers are seeking U.S. permission to fly empty planes to Orlando International Airport to accommodate the surge in passenger demand.

“You are looking at quite a few aircraft to get them out,” Carolyn Fennell said.

Fennell said as many as an estimated 3,000 U.K. residents are seeking to move up their reservation for a return flight as Central Florida’s tourism attractions and accommodations close their doors.

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flights are running as scheduled but with little spare room for the surge in demand, Fennell said.

Neither U.K. airline could be reached immediately for comment.

Late last year, British Airways delivered more than 30,000 passengers to and from or Orlando each month, while Virgin delivered more than 60,000 per month.

Fennell said no long lines or crowds of U.K. residents have formed at the airport.

As with most airplanes, Virgin and British Airways have cut back flights and disclosed deep financial distress resulting from the coronavirus outbreak.

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