Corneel Koster to take helm at Virgin Atlantic

LONDON - After a seven-year tenure, Shai Weiss will stand down as CEO of Virgin Atlantic and leave the airline on 31 December 2025. Current Chief Customer and Chief Operating Officer Corneel Koster will succeed Weiss - and become the next Virgin Atlantic CEO on 1 January 2026. Koster re-joined Virgin Atlantic in 2019.

Koster "has been instrumental in running a safe and reliable operation, leading frontline teams and delivering Virgin Atlantic’s renowned customer experience," the airline said in a statement. "As part of the leadership team, he played a pivotal role ensuring the airline emerged from the pandemic thriving and reliable."

Spanning three decades, Koster has extensive leadership experience in the sector, holding senior operational and commercial roles at Virgin Atlantic and partners Delta Air Lines, Aeroméxico and KLM. Between 2010 and 2013, Koster held the position of Director of Operations, Safety and Security at Virgin Atlantic.

In recent years the manager oversaw the introduction of the Airbus A330neo fleet and growths of the A350-1000 fleet at Virgin Atlantic and its intensified ties with Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM.

Weiss became CEO in January 2019, steering the Company through the Covid-19 pandemic, completing a full transformation and delivering a record performance in 2024. He joined the airline as Chief Financial Officer in 2014 and later served as Chief Commercial Officer. During his tenure, the airline returned to profitability.

"Shai has done an outstanding job over the past seven years," Virgin Atlantic founder Sir Richard Branson said. "I’m grateful for his vision, passion and commitment to creating brilliant experiences that have made the airline stronger and raised the bar across the industry. I’m delighted to welcome Corneel as CEO. He embodies the Virgin spirit - bold, curious and ready to shake up the status quo."