Heathrow boss defends ‘mindless’ terminal reshuffle

Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye defended plans to move Delta flights from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4, separating the airline from its long-standing partner Virgin Atlantic. The change, due in 2028, has drawn a strong objection from Virgin’s chief executive, who says it will make passenger connections and airline operations harder.

Woldbye said the reshuffle followed three years of consultations and would let Heathrow handle 2.5 million more travellers annually while reducing a passenger charge by £1 per ticket. Virgin and Delta have operated a transatlantic joint venture since 2014, and Delta owns a stake in Virgin. Virgin chief executive Corneel Koster called the move “anti-competitive” and said the airlines would challenge it; Civil Aviation Authority chief executive Rob Bishton said the regulator would consider any complaints referred to it.