Virgin Atlantic chief executive Shai Weiss confirmed he has no plans for the carrier to restart a short-haul operation or to return to Gatwick when he spoke at the Airlines 24 conference in London last week.
At the same time, Weiss took the opportunity to defend his decision to start Virgin Atlantic services to and Saudi Arabia next year, insisting it has the support “of our people”.
Asked whether Virgin could resume short-haul flying following the failure of its Little Red domestic start-up in 2015 and the collapse of Flybe in 2020, Weiss said: “I wish could say yes, but it’s not our view.
“We’re a network carrier, but we haven’t succeeded in creating a short haul network. Little Red didn’t work. We know what happened to Flybe. There is no business market. There are no slots at Heathrow.”
He suggested: “If someone can pony up 30 slots at Heathrow let me know.”
However, Weiss also ruled out any imminent return to Gatwick, from which Virgin Atlantic withdrew in 2020, despite “the limitations of Heathrow”.
He said: “Gatwick is where we started. We would love to go back when the time is right. [But] Virgin Atlantic is just completing its transformation. We’re about to post record revenues and, with a bit of luck, a profit for the first time in a long time.”
Asked if he could see Virgin Atlantic being back at Gatwick in five years, Weiss said: “Yes, maybe.”
He was far more positive about operating to Saudi Arabia, saying: “We’re going to be flying to Riyadh in 2025.”
Weiss stressed the importance of inclusivity and “making everyone feel comfortable” for the airline, pointing out: “I can be who I am’ is our calling card.”
But he said: “This decision was reviewed multiple times. I don’t want to advertise for Saudi Arabia, but 35% of the workforce are now females.
“We’re conscious change is happening and Virgin Atlantic, as long as it can be Virgin Atlantic, can be part of the change rather than just wait for it to happen.
“Our people, including our Pride network support this. We would not be doing this if our people did not support it.”