Viewers have complained that the ad, part of a £6m campaign to celebrate the airline's 25th anniversary, is sexist and insulting to women.
Set in 1984, the ad shows a Virgin Atlantic crew strutting through a drab airport toward the carrier's first ever flight. The ad features a number of 80s references, including record store Our Price and an oversized early mobile phone. The soundtrack for the ad, which uses the endline ‘Still red hot', is Frankie Goes To Hollywood hit Relax.
Paul Charles, director of communications at Virgin Atlantic, said: 'The ASA has rightly dismissed these complaints, which probably come from competitors jealous of our fantastic cabin and flight crew. Our advert has been brilliantly received worldwide and reinforces why so many people want to work for Virgin Atantic.'
The campaign, created incumbent agency RKCR/Y&R, launched last month.
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