Virgin Atlantic has touched down in Tampa Bay, the airline’s newest route from London.

The route was a first for Virgin’s new A330neo aircraft.

In a nod to the city’s sports teams, Virgin President and Founder Sir Richard Branson donned the sports jersey of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as he posed for photographs alongside cabin crew.

The new year-round Florida service will initially fly four times a week before increasing to daily from 28 November.

It’s the airline’s third Florida destination, after Miami and Orlando.

The Airbus A330neo’s Upper Class cabin has brand-new seat, and spacious The Retreat Suite.

Sir Richard said: “We have double the reasons to celebrate today as we fly our brand-new plane into our latest destination – Tampa Bay. I can’t think of a better way to mark our arrival into this incredible region than by giving passengers the best start to their journeys on our new A330neo.

CEO Shai Weiss added: “The USA is our heartland and Florida has an important role in our American portfolio, so I’m delighted to be bolstering connectivity to the region with the only direct flight to London Heathrow.

“It’s also fitting that our new route will enjoy our newest aircraft, the A330neo. This plane has evolved our customer experience, with every traveller receiving a premium experience regardless of the cabin they travel in.

“It also plays a significant role in our multi-billion dollar fleet transformation, demonstrating our commitment to the planet. “We know the most impactful thing we can do as an airline is to fly the cleanest, greenest, youngest fleet possible and the A330neo is integral to achieving this goal.”