The Virgin Atlantic Board has announced its succession plan for the airline’s current chief executive officer, Shai Weiss. Weiss has held the role for seven years, and is due to step down and leave the airline on 31 December 2025. Corneel Koster will be his successor, taking on the role of CEO on 1st January 2026.
Koster has three decades of experience with airlines, through senior operational and commercial roles. Between 2010 and 2013, Koster held the position of director of operations, safety and security at Virgin Atlantic. He then became COO and executive vice president at Aeroméxico (2013-2017), and moved on to become senior vice president for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India at Delta Air Lines (2017-2019).
He then re-joined Virgin Atlantic in 2019 as board member and chief customer officer, expanding his role to chief customer and operating officer in 2020.
According to Virgin Atlantic Koster has been instrumental in running a safe and reliable operation, leading front-line teams and delivering a quality customer experience. As part of the leadership team, he played a pivotal role in ensuring the airline’s recovery from the pandemic travel restrictions, while leading the introduction of the airline’s Airbus A330neo aircraft and delivering digital operational transformation.
Corneel Koster said of his appointment: “I have long held a very special place in my heart for Virgin Atlantic, so it’s an incredible privilege to take up the role of CEO. We’ve always done everything in our power to give our customers and our people the best experience in the skies, delivered with a smile and the special challenger spirit that Richard [Branson] instilled in us from day one.
“I’m determined we carry that spirit forward. I’d like to thank the Virgin Atlantic Board for their trust and confidence and to thank Shai for his leadership and his friendship. I’m proud to lead our talented teams into our next chapter.”
Goodbye to Shai
Shai Weiss became CEO of Virgin Atlantic in January 2019, steering the airline through the Covid-19 pandemic, completing a full transformation and delivering 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, has led customer satisfaction across the Atlantic, and was rated each year as the UK’s only Global Five Star operator by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).
Shai Weiss commented: “I want to congratulate Corneel on his appointment, which is so well deserved. I can think of no one better to take over as he knows what it takes to drive Virgin Atlantic to the next level and he’ll continue to innovate for our people and our guests, making them smile every step of the way.
“I leave Virgin Atlantic full of pride, knowing I have played a part in its bright red history. Together, we’ve transformed through the pandemic and emerged faster, better and stronger than ever. We are now well on our way to achieving our mission of becoming the most loved travel company, having laid the foundations for a world of exciting opportunities as a premium flag carrier,” he added.
Shai Weiss has not yet shared what his next career move will be, It would come as no surprise to many if it involves his love of aviation, but his career has spanned several sectors.
Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic stated: “Shai has done an outstanding job over the past seven years. 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. We look forward to this exciting new chapter.”
