30 strong tech trade mission to San Fran takes off

Virgin Atlantic today kicked off a major growth drive at Manchester Airport, launching the first of a hat trick of new long haul routes to the US.

This morning (Tuesday), the airline waved off its inaugural service to San Francisco, the first ever direct route to Northern California from the North of England.

As well as opening up a popular leisure destination, it has been hailed as a major boost to the Northern Powerhouse, providing direct access to and from Silicon Valley for tech businesses across the North.

More than 30 tech leaders from the North are travelling on the inaugural flight as part of a trade mission to Silicon Valley.

The delegates will fly the flag for the Northern tech scene, as they meet with bosses from California’s leading universities, representatives from tech giants and members of Silicon Valley’s venture capital funding community.

The trade mission is being led by Scott Fletcher, founder of Manchester-based cloud services provider ANS Group and Dr Adam Beaumont, founder of Leeds-based telecoms platform business aql.

The delegation includes a mix of Northern corporates such as CoOp Digital, of Manchester, and one iota, from Lancashire, and Manchester-based Wakelet. It is also being supported by the University of Central Lancashire and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Charlie Cornish, MAG chief executive, said: “The fact so many businesses from all parts of the North are joining the trade mission is testament to the role the private sector is playing in realising the Northern Powerhouse vision and I wish them all every success out in Silicon Valley.

“It is the perfect illustration of how direct connectivity to key markets like San Francisco will drive growth in high value sectors and help deliver the Government’s new Industrial Strategy.

“Manchester Airport will continue to play a pivotal role in enabling that, as we have the capacity and demand to connect the North to even more key destinations in the months and years ahead.

International trade minister Greg Hands said: “The Northern Powerhouse, like Silicon Valley, is a leading centre of creativity and innovation. A direct link between the home of the industrial revolution, and the home of the digital revolution will be a boost for both regions, and for the Northern Powerhouse’s ambitious tech and digital companies as they take advantage of new markets and trading opportunities across the world.”

Operating three times weekly from summer 2017, Virgin Atlantic’s Manchester-San Francisco flights will connect the region with world famous landmarks such as Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Fisherman’s Wharf.

In additional to San Francisco, a new route from Manchester to Boston launches tomorrow, with Virgin Atlantic’s direct connection between Manchester and JFK New York commencing in May.