Heathrow Plans to Split Delta From Virgin Atlantic, but Not Until 2028

Heathrow has told five airlines they will change terminals in 2028, and the biggest casualty may be a transatlantic partnership. Delta, Finnair and Japan Airlines are slated to move from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4. China Southern shifts from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5, and LATAM moves from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2. Virgin Atlantic, American and British Airways stay put. The airport informed carriers on October 27, and reports say no public announcement had yet been issued.

For Delta customers, the change breaks a convenient arrangement. Delta currently shares Terminal 3 with Virgin Atlantic, its joint-venture partner, making connections between the two easy. Under the plan, Delta would sit in Terminal 4 beside Air France and KLM, and passengers connecting to Virgin would need an inter-terminal bus. Delta flew roughly 900,000 seats a year at Heathrow according to Cirium figures cited by InsideFlyer, more than twice any other airline in the group.

Lounge access is also at stake. View from the Wing reports Delta business passengers would lose access to Virgin’s Clubhouse and Upper Class Wing in Terminal 3, and Finnair and Japan Airlines passengers would lose the Terminal 3 lounges they use today. Rail travelers would feel it too, since the Heathrow Express does not stop at Terminal 4 and passengers must change to the Elizabeth line for the final hop.

Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive Corneel Koster said moving Delta to the remotely located Terminal 4 would create friction for customers. According to Sky News, as cited by AeroCorner, the two airlines are reviewing their legal options, though nothing is final. The five airlines together represent about 3.5 percent of Heathrow’s seats, and the 2028 timing leaves room for the decision to be challenged or reshaped before anyone has to find a new gate.

Sources: InsideFlyer, AeroCorner