Virgin Galactic Reopens Bookings for Suborbital Flights

Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc., the California-based company founded by Richard Branson, has resumed selling tickets for its commercial space tourism expeditions. This move signals progress toward restarting operations following a two-year pause in sales.

The company has set the new price point for these limited spaceflight tickets at $750,000. This represents an increase of approximately $100,000 compared to the price previously charged for these experiences.

Market Reaction and Industry Context

Following the announcement of the ticket sales resumption, Virgin Galactic's stock experienced a significant boost. Shares jumped as much as 20% during Tuesday trading on the New York market.

Despite this positive movement, the stock remains down about 30% year-to-date as of Monday's close. The broader space tourism sector continues to navigate challenges related to technology hurdles and limited consumer demand.

Virgin Galactic had temporarily halted ticket sales while focusing on the development and debut of its upgraded Delta spaceplane. With competitor Blue Origin LLC suspending its New Shepard rocket flights in January, Virgin Galactic is currently the primary operator offering short sightseeing trips to the edge of space.

Financial Performance and Future Outlook

The announcement coincided with the release of Virgin Galactic's fourth-quarter financial results for 2025, which fell below analyst expectations. The company reported revenue of approximately $312,000 for the quarter.

This figure was short of the $360,000 average expected by analysts polled by Bloomberg. Furthermore, the company posted a net loss of 98 cents per share, exceeding the 82-cent loss Wall Street had forecast.

Fleet Updates and Cash Position

Virgin Galactic provided an update on its fleet development plans. The company anticipates its second SpaceShip will become operational between late in the fourth quarter of this year or early in 2027.

This timeline aligns with the company's plans to significantly ramp up the frequency of its spaceflights. As of the latest report, the company maintained cash and cash equivalents totaling $144.7 million, a 19% decrease year-over-year.

Looking ahead, Virgin Galactic projects an expected cash burn of around $90 million for the first quarter of 2026.