LONDON, UK — October 28, 2026 — Heathrow (LHR) has decided to move five airlines between its terminals, its first terminal review since 2014, when Terminal 2 opened. The biggest change for US travelers: Delta will leave Terminal 3 and its joint-venture partner Virgin Atlantic for Terminal 4. The moves are expected in 2028.
Who is moving
| Airline | From | To | Approx. seats per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | T3 | T4 | 900,000 |
| Finnair | T3 | T4 | 358,000 |
| China Southern | T4 | T5 | 266,000 |
| Japan Airlines | T3 | T4 | 157,000 |
| LATAM | T3 | T2 | 150,000 |
Seat figures are Cirium estimates reported by Head for Points. Timing: expected in 2028; exact dates for each airline TBA.
What changes at each terminal
- Terminal 3 loses three airlines and gains none, which should ease crowding. Virgin Atlantic stays there without Delta. Emirates also stays, reportedly because it needs A380 gates.
- Terminal 4 gains Delta, Finnair and JAL. Delta will sit with SkyTeam partners Air France and KLM. T4 has no direct Heathrow Express service.
- Terminal 5 gains China Southern, which has a joint venture with British Airways. BA stays in T5.
- Terminal 2 remains the Star Alliance home; LATAM is the only newcomer.
- oneworld airlines will be split across T3, T4 and T5.
Lounges and connections
- Delta passengers will lose access to Virgin’s Clubhouse in T3. Delta’s T4 lounge plans are not known (TBA).
- Finnair and JAL passengers will lose the oneworld lounges in T3.
- Connections between Delta and Virgin Atlantic flights, for example onward to Africa or Asia, will need an inter-terminal bus, so connection times will get longer.
The reaction
Heathrow says airlines carrying 81% of its passengers back the plan. Virgin Atlantic boss Corneel Koster objected, saying Heathrow “has chosen to split ours after more than a decade together.” Virgin says it is weighing options to challenge the decision.
What it means for non-revs
- Nothing changes yet. Delta, Virgin, Finnair, JAL, LATAM and China Southern stay in their current terminals for now; the moves are expected in 2028.
- Once the moves happen, the Delta–Virgin standby swap gets harder. Rolling from a full Delta flight to a Virgin one (or the reverse) will mean changing terminals rather than walking to another gate. Build in more time if you plan to list on both.
- T4 brings Delta next to Air France and KLM, which could make SkyTeam backup options via Paris or Amsterdam easier to reach.
- Getting to T4 is slower: no direct Heathrow Express, so allow for a change at the central terminals.
- Lounge access will change for Delta, Finnair and JAL travelers; details are TBA.
Sources
- Head for Points — Heathrow airline terminal moves (Rhys Jones)
- One Mile at a Time — Heathrow Airport Terminal Shake-Up: Delta & Virgin Atlantic Are The Losers
- TRAICY Global — Heathrow to Relocate Five Airlines’ Terminals Over Two Years
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