Virgin Atlantic Airways today celebrates its 600th Wings Ceremony for 21 of its most recently trained crew (In-Flight Beauty Therapists) at the airline�s Head Office in Crawley, near Gatwick. The Wings Ceremony for 21 In-Flight Beauty Therapists is the culmination and celebration of the intense nine-week training course that they have to complete before starting their flying career with Virgin Atlantic. The airline currently employs around 3,500 cabin crew and 275 In-Flight Beauty Therapists.

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic, said:

�We are very proud to have trained these beauty therapists and receiving �wings� is a fantastic achievement so they should be very proud of themselves! I wish them the very best of luck in their new roles and I am certain that they will go on to be a great success.�

Sara Wilce, Virgin Touch Manager for Virgin Atlantic, commented: �The wings ceremony provides the In-Flight Beauty Therapists with the recognition they so richly deserve after such an intensive and challenging nine-week training programme. They complete the extensive training that cabin crew have to complete as well as an additional three weeks of beauty therapy focused training.�

�The Virgin Touch Department are thrilled that group 600 are In-Flight Beauty Therapists and I�d like to extend my congratulations and good wishes to the whole group and hope that they go on to have a fantastic career with Virgin Atlantic.�

Virgin Atlantic�s Chief Executive Steve Ridgway, who will present the newly appointed In-Flight Beauty Therapists with their �wings� will also host the ceremony. Friends and family of the crew are invited to attend and stay for champagne and canap�s.

In-Flight Beauty Therapists have been onboard Virgin Atlantic flights since the airline�s inaugural flight to Los Angeles in 1990. The service, which includes treatments such as Back In The Clouds, Hot Hands and Handsome Hands Manicure, is extremely popular with its Upper Class passengers and there are now over 270 In-Flight Beauty Therapists working at the airline. The service is available on all return flights out of Heathrow. The services are complimentary and are intended to produce a feeling of well-being and alleviate tension and the affects of jet lag.

All In-Flight Beauty Therapists undertake a nine-week training course, which comprises of flight skills, customer care and the Virgin Atlantic service, safety equipment and procedures along with medical training in addition to their Virgin Touch Beauty training which takes up three weeks of the nine-week course.

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

In-flight Beauty Therapy

The airline�s first inflight beauty therapist, Jane Breeden, first approached Richard Branson in 1989 with her novel idea � why not offer your passengers something extra-special when crossing the Atlantic � such as a massage? Branson saw the potential in this idea � particularly for the many business travellers regularly flying with the airline. Jane was given the opportunity to try out her idea on one of Virgin�s New York flights in February 1990. The �trial flight� was a great success and Jane�s first flight as the airline�s official In-flight Beauty Therapist coincided with the launch of the airline�s service to Los Angeles in May 1990.

Treatments available onboard:

Back in the Clouds This massage is based on traditional Ayervedic techniques, and targets the areas where tension is most commonly stored, namely the upper back, shoulders, neck and scalp. Using a series of kneading type movements it stretches and relaxes the muscles, and incorporates a number of Acupressure points that relieve tension, anxiety and improve mental clarity. This releases toxins, improves circulation and helps to strengthen the immune system. Adapted specifically for the aircraft environment, this treatment is a combination of Swedish and pressure point massage and is performed over the client�s clothes

Hands � Zone Therapy Invigorating massage techniques combined with the application of pressure to specific points on the hand, will calm, alleviate headaches and stimulate the circulatory systems.

Hot Hands An anti-ageing, hydrating treatment which includes exfoliation to get rid of dead skin cells and a mask to rejuvenate.

Handsome Hands Manicure A mini manicure incorporating file, buff and cuticle work, using the luxurious range of products.

For press enquiries please contact the Virgin Atlantic press office on 01293 747373 or log onto www.virginatlantic.com