Airline to discuss Heathrow slots?

Next Thursday (6 December) sees Virgin Atlantic's American CEO Craig Kreeger making his farewell high-profile appearance in the post before retiring at the end of the year.

The venue is London’s Institute of Directors, and the occasion the Aviation Club’s December lunch. Kreeger, in charge of Virgin Atlantic since replacing Steve Ridgeway in February 2013, has seen the airline through turbulent times, with the reduction of routes to the east and south of Heathrow, and a change of ownership, due to take place next March, whereby Delta Airlines will take 49% of the airline and Air France-KLM 31%, leaving Virgin Group with just 20%.

Whether Kreeger in his address will update the gathering on a reported interest in Flybe's present and future routes into Heathrow remains to be seen, but if not he is sure to be asked in the traditional question period after his speech. And questions are also likely over Cobalt Air, the grounded Cypriot airline using slots actually owned by Virgin Atlantic.

Virgin Atlantic's current chief commercial officer Shai Weiss takes over as CEO on 1 January (See BTN 25 June).

Bookings for the event close at noon today (3 December).

www.aviationclub.org.uk

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David Starkie, London

Does the new shareholdings mean that Virgin is no longer a British airline; I presume so. I was a loser in the Cobalt collapse. Seeing VS owned the slots should I approach them for compensation?