VIRGIN Atlantic is adding more than 14,000 seats to its summer flights from Glasgow to Florida to meet demand from Scottish holidaymakers.

The airline announced it would be increasing capacity by more than one-third on the popular route in time for summer 2014 by deploying a Boeing 747 for the duration of the holiday programme.

The move means that up to 54,600 people will be able to travel direct from Glasgow to the US state next year, compared to the 40,420 seats on sale this year.

The 455-seat Boeing jumbo jet will replace a 314-seat Airbus A330 between April and October. In previous years it has only been used during the peak months of June and July.

Last month, Virgin Atlantic announced it would deploy the larger aircraft on the route, which serves Orlando International Airport, during October this year for the first time to meet additional demand around the school holiday week.

The Boeing aircraft features the airline's award-winning Upper Class cabin, in addition to the Premium Economy and Economy products available on the Airbus.

Edmond Rose, Virgin Atlantic's director of airline planning, said: "Since we launched our Glasgow services six years ago we have seen a steady increase in demand and we are delighted to bring our iconic Boeing 747s on to the route for the full summer season."

Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, added: "Our partnership with Virgin Atlantic has been a huge success story. Since the Florida flights began in 2007 passenger numbers have grown every year, and Virgin Atlantic has continued adding extra capacity to accommodate the increasing number of Scots travelling to Florida.

"That Virgin Atlantic is increasing capacity for 2014 by more than one-third is a fantastic boost for Glasgow Airport and Scotland."