Heathrow Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye has defended plans to separate Virgin Atlantic and its joint venture partner Delta Airlines as part of a wider terminal reshuffle at London Heathrow Airport (LHR). The two carriers have strongly criticised the move.
Virgin Atlantic and Delta To Challenge LHR Reshuffle
Virgin Atlantic and Delta Airlines have criticised plans to separate the carriers as part of an upcoming reshuffle of London Heathrow’s (LHR) terminal occupancy, describing the move as “mindless” and “anti-competitive”.
The airlines have been joint venture partners since 2019, sharing schedules, codeshares, and transatlantic services between Europe and the Americas. Delta Airlines also holds a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic.
Both carriers currently operate in LHR’s Terminal 3. Under the airport’s terminal reallocation programme, which is due to take effect in 2028, Delta will move to Terminal 4, while Virgin Atlantic will continue operating out of Terminal 3.
Virgin Atlantic CEO Corneel Koster has remained highly critical of the plans, stating that the two airlines intend to challenge the decision together rather than accept it quietly. Speaking at the Airlines 2026 conference, Koster alleged that Heathrow (LHR) sought to disguise the impact of the decision by releasing details around the same time as the UK’s Budget announcement.
Rob Bishton, Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation Authority, has confirmed that the regulator intend to investigate any formal complaints put before the regulator.
London Heathrow Boss Forced to Defend Reshuffle
Amid growing criticism from Virgin Atlantic and Delta Airlines, Heathrow Airport’s (LHR) Chief Executive Officer Thomas Woldbye has defended the decision the airport’s terminal reallocation plans, arguing that the changes are necessary to optimise the airport’s capacity.
Addressing concerns from affected Woldbye, the reshuffle could enable the airport to accommodate up to 2.5 million additional annually by better balancing airline operations across its terminals.
A key part of the strategy involves increasing the utilisation of Terminal 4, which Heathrow believes is currently underutilised. Alongside Delta Airlines, carriers including Japan Airlines, Finnair, China Southern, and LATAM Airlines are scheduled to relocate to Terminal 4 when the changes take effect in 2028.
Addressing concerns from affected airlines, Woldbye emphasised that the majority of airlines supported the reshuffling of airline terminals:
“We have been through three consultations over three years. We have checked and double-checked the objectives of that with our airlines. So this is a community decision, and we have a big majority of our airlines supporting this decision.”
Speaking at the Airlines 2026 Conference, Woldbye stated that this was a necessary measure during the absence of a third terminal at Heathrow, which has been a highly contentious matter for a number of years. He added that when another runway was in operation, Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic would be reunited to ensure their shared operations could continue.
What do you think of this decision? Do Delta and Virgin have a fair complaint? Let us know in the comments below.
