Virgin Atlantic has announced that the new year will mark a change in Chief Executive Officer, with Shai Weiss stepping down from the position after seven years. During this time, the British long-haul carrier has come to terms with the impacts of (and bounced back from) the coronavirus pandemic, as well as undertaking an impressive fleet modernization program with the delivery of next-generation widebodies.
His replacement will be Corneel Koster, who has spent more than nine years at the airline across two spells in a wide variety of different roles. While Weiss’s departure represents the end of an era for Virgin Atlantic, the airline is confident that Koster is the right person to take it forward.
Weiss Will Step Down On December 31
The passing of one year to the next often represents a time of considerable change, and this will certainly be true at Virgin Atlantic this time around as far as its CEO is concerned. As confirmed in a statement released earlier today by the carrier, Shai Weiss will step down from the role on December 31, and be replaced by Corneel Koster on January 1. Weiss initially became the CEO of Virgin Atlantic in January 2019.
Under Weiss (pictured above), Virgin Atlantic notes that the carrier returned to profitability and achieved record performance levels, while also registering industry-leading customer satisfaction levels among the various carriers that serve the transatlantic market. Virgin Atlantic founder Sir Richard Branson said that he is grateful for Weiss’s “vision, passion, and commitment to creating brilliant experiences,” adding that:
“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.”
The New Leader
Corneel Koster (pictured above) will likely be a name that is relatively familiar to those who have come to know and love the ins and outs of Virgin over the past 15 years. He initially joined the carrier back in September of 2010 as Director of Operations, Safety & Security, having already served in a variety of roles in the Cargo and Ground Services divisions of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines from the Netherlands.
After three years in the aforementioned position at Virgin, Koster left the airline for spells at two airlines that the carrier would later become alliance partners with as a member of SkyTeam. The first of these saw him serve as Aeromexico’s Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President.
This lasted from September 2013 to April 2017, after which he moved to Delta to become its Senior Vice President for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India. Since August 2019, he has been back at Virgin, serving first as its Chief Customer Officer, and then as its Chief Customer & Operating Officer, where he has “played a pivotal role in ensuring the airline emerged from the pandemic thriving and reliable.”
The Airline Will Continue To Do Things Differently
Virgin Atlantic is known for its strong customer experience, such as its Clubhouse lounges and Upper Class business class cabin. As such, it is widely recognized by the great and the good at Virgin Atlantic that Koster has excelled in his existing roles at the carrier. Indeed, it highlights “the introduction of the airline’s award-winning A330neo aircraft and delivering digital operational transformation” as high points.
Peter Norris, the carrier’s Chair, remarked upon Koster’s close ties to the brand, stating that “as a true customer champion, he understands what sets Virgin Atlantic apart as we continue to challenge the status quo in the years ahead.” He also comes highly commended by the CEO he’s replacing, with Weiss saying that he “can think of no one better to take over,” adding that “he’ll continue to innovate for our people.”
Head for Points editor Rob Burgess noted on LinkedIn that Starlink WiFi is among Virgin’s coming innovations. As CEO from 2026 onwards, Koster has pledged that “Virgin Atlantic [will remain] the airline that dares to do things differently.” With the carrier continuing to modernize its fleet in the coming years (ch-aviation notes that it has 16 more Airbus A330-900s on order), it has a great platform to grow under Koster.