Key facts
- Delta said it would pursue all available remedies to correct Heathrow's decision and urged the airport to reconsider.
- Bastian said Delta and Virgin Atlantic had served millions of customers from co-located Terminal 3 for more than a decade.
- Bastian said separating the two operations undermines years of investment and disregards integrated customer benefits.
- Heathrow's plan moves Delta, Finnair and Japan Airlines from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4 in 2028, per The Aviation Hub.
- Virgin Atlantic CEO Corneel Koster said the split would create friction for customers and weaken competition, per The Aviation Hub.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said on November 2 that Heathrow Airport's decision to move the US carrier's operations to Terminal 4 from Terminal 3, which it shares with Virgin Atlantic, was "deeply disappointing and bad for airline consumers."
Delta said in a statement the same day that it would pursue all available remedies to correct the decision and urged Heathrow to reconsider. Bastian called the move "short-sighted" and said Delta and Virgin Atlantic had served millions of customers through their co-located operation in Terminal 3 for more than a decade.
"Separating our operation undermines years of investment and disregards the tightly integrated customer benefits that we offer in our co-located terminal," Bastian said. He added that the two carriers give UK travelers a competitive alternative across the Atlantic.
The Aviation Hub reported that Heathrow shared the outcome of its terminal occupancy review with airlines on Tuesday, October 27, and that five airlines will change terminals in 2028. Delta, Finnair and Japan Airlines move from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4, LATAM moves from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2, and China Southern leaves Terminal 4 for Terminal 5 alongside British Airways. Virgin Atlantic stays in Terminal 3, separating the partners for the first time since Delta completed its move into Terminal 3 in 2016, apart from a pandemic detour.
The Aviation Hub reported that Heathrow presents the reshuffle as a fix for congestion, with a spokesperson telling The Times the moves would free capacity, ease crowding and help keep costs down. Airport sources told Sky News the chosen option required the fewest airline moves and the least capital spending, and that airlines representing 81% of passengers supported it, the outlet reported. Virgin Atlantic CEO Corneel Koster rejected the decision, saying the split would "create friction for customers, weaken competition and reduce choice," according to The Aviation Hub.