Virgin Atlantic eyes Gatwick return as it gives up on Heathrow third runway

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic is examining a return to Gatwick and flights from regional airports such as Bristol after giving up hope of a third runway at Heathrow before the end of the decade. He said: “I think we’ve got to rule out a third runway, which leaves either the acquisition of slots at Heathrow or flights from Gatwick and secondary cities in the UK.” Growth at Virgin’s main Heathrow base remains the preferred option because of the high margins and better connectivity between flights there, but the new growth plan will assume scope for that will be limited. Heathrow, which operates almost at full capacity, put plans for a third runway on hold during Covid when the project was already facing renewed political and legal hurdles, and has yet to formally revive them. Willie Walsh, the former British Airways boss who now leads airline industry trade group Iata, said last week that a new runway may never be built at Europe’s busiest hub.