Virgin Atlantic seeks new Heathrow slots for expanded schedule

Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. is seeking additional operating slots at London’s Heathrow Airport as the carrier looks to add more routes to the US and Asia with the arrival of new jets from Airbus. The airline, which narrowly avoided collapse during a funding squeeze at the height of the coronavirus crisis, is seeking takeoff and landing positions at Europe’s busiest hub as the fleet expands from 37 aircraft to 46 in 2025, Chief Executive Officer Shai Weiss said in an interview. A number of new routes are under consideration, focused on locations where Virgin can tap links with partners, Weiss said on the carrier’s first flight from London to Tampa Bay, Florida. That could include more cities in the US, which the UK firm serves in a joint venture with part-owner Delta. Virgin is also looking at destinations in Asia, where it recently agreed to a code-share deal with IndiGo, India’s largest airline. Virgin already serves Delhi and Mumbai and is looking at how its decision to join the SkyTeam global alliance next year could enhance route options. Flights to Seoul, home base of founding member Korean Air Lines Co., are among those under consideration. The US and Caribbean, which account for about 70% of Virgin’s business, will remain the company’s primary focus, according to Weiss. The carrier had a more global network before he became CEO in 2019, but it was largely untenable, he said.<br/>