Virgin Atlantic launches with its first flight from London to Newark.

Virgin Atlantic, a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British airline with its head office in Crawley, West Sussex, England. The airline was established in 1984 as British Atlantic Airways, and was originally planned by its co-founders Randolph Fields and Alan Hellary to fly between London and the Falkland Islands. Soon after changing the name to Virgin Atlantic Airways, Fields sold his shares in the company to Richard Branson in return for unlimited free travel. The maiden flight from London–Gatwick to Newark took place on 22 June 1984.

Gatwick Airport, also known as London Gatwick Airport, is the secondary international airport serving London, Sussex and Surrey. It is located near Crawley in West Sussex, 30 miles (48 km) south of Central London. In 2024, Gatwick was the second-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after Heathrow Airport, and was the 10th-busiest in Europe by total passenger traffic. It covers a total area of 674 hectares.

Newark Liberty International Airport is a major international airport serving the New York metropolitan area. The airport straddles the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of downtown Newark and 9 miles (14 km) west-southwest of Manhattan, it is a major gateway to destinations in Europe, South America, Asia, and Oceania. It is jointly owned by the two cities, and the airport itself is leased to its operator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It is the second-busiest airport in the New York airport system behind John F. Kennedy International Airport and ahead of LaGuardia Airport.

June 22 is the 173rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 192 days remain until the end of the year.