Virgin Atlantic announced on Monday that Corneel Koster has been appointed as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Shai Weiss, who will step down after seven years at the helm. Koster, currently the airline’s Chief Operating Officer, will officially assume his new role on January 1, 2026.
According to the company, Weiss decided to step down but did not specify a reason for his departure.
Koster rejoined Virgin Atlantic in 2019 as Chief Commercial Officer after previously holding key positions at Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico. Between 2010 and 2013, he also served as Virgin Atlantic’s Director of Operations and Security.
“It’s an incredible privilege to take up the role of CEO,” Koster said in a statement, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to lead the airline.
Shai Weiss, who has been associated with the Virgin Group since 2001, initially joined as Managing Director of Virgin Media. Before becoming Virgin Atlantic’s CEO in 2019, he served as the company’s Chief Financial Officer and later as Chief Commercial Officer.
Virgin Atlantic to Resume Flights to Pakistan
In a separate development, Virgin Atlantic Airways has announced that it will resume flight operations to Pakistan, reconnecting London with Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore starting October this year.
According to aviation sources, the airline—which suspended its services to Pakistan in 2023—has received approval from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to restart operations. The British carrier will operate flights via Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, reestablishing Pakistan’s connectivity with Virgin Atlantic’s global network.
The resumption of services is expected to provide passengers with greater convenience and improved travel links between Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
Virgin Atlantic had previously halted its London–Lahore and London–Islamabad routes in 2023 as part of a network restructuring. At the time, an airline spokesperson stated: “As we continue to ramp up our flying programme in 2023, we’ve taken the opportunity to review our entire network and decided to make a few changes.”
