Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic have both vowed to challenge Heathrow Airport's decision to move Delta out of Terminal 3 and into Terminal 4 from 2028, a change that would separate the two transatlantic joint-venture partners after more than a decade sharing the same terminal.
Delta chief executive Ed Bastian said on Monday that the airline will "pursue all available remedies to correct this decision," calling Heathrow's move "shortsighted, deeply disappointing and bad for airline consumers." Virgin Atlantic chief executive Corneel Koster said his airline will also pursue "all available options to challenge this outcome."
The reaction, reported by Aviation Week and Travel Weekly, follows Heathrow's confirmation last week that five airlines will change terminals over the next two years as part of a three-year terminal occupancy review. Besides Delta's move to Terminal 4, Finnair and Japan Airlines will also shift from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4, Latam Airlines will move from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2, and China Southern Airlines will move from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are set to stay in Terminals 5 and 3 respectively.
Delta and Virgin Atlantic have shared Terminal 3 since 2016, letting passengers connecting between the two airlines stay within the same terminal and use shared check-in desks and Virgin's Clubhouse lounge. Delta owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic, and the two carriers coordinate schedules and pricing under a transatlantic joint venture that also includes Air France and KLM.
Under the new plan, passengers connecting between Delta and Virgin Atlantic flights would need to travel between Terminal 3 and Terminal 4, a transfer Heathrow says takes about 20 minutes by airside bus, with a fresh security check required before reaching the departure lounge. Virgin Atlantic has previously said it is weighing legal action or a regulatory complaint over the decision.
Heathrow has defended the reshuffle, saying airlines representing 81% of the airport's passengers support the outcome of the review, and that the changes will "make the best use of current terminal capacity and deliver a better overall experience for passengers" while creating room for future growth, including a planned third runway.
The terminal changes are expected to take place within two years, so there is no immediate impact on bookings or connections. Any legal or regulatory challenge from Delta or Virgin Atlantic could still affect the timeline or final terminal allocations before the moves take effect.
What this means for your journey: the changes do not affect flights before 2028, but if you regularly connect between Delta and Virgin Atlantic services at Heathrow, it is worth keeping an eye on how this dispute develops. For now, see our public transport guide for the latest on getting between Heathrow's terminals.