Virgin Atlantic replaces British Airways as Team GB’s new official airline partner for LA28

Virgin Atlantic will fly Team GB and ParalympicsGB to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, ending British Airways’ long run as the teams’ official airline partner.

The airline has been named Official Airline Partner of both British teams for LA28. Virgin Atlantic Holidays will become the Olympic teams’ Official Holiday Partner.

The deal represents a significant sponsorship win for Virgin Atlantic. British Airways has been closely associated with Team GB for two decades, carrying British athletes to multiple Olympic Games and becoming particularly visible through its London 2012 sponsorship.

Team GB announced the new Virgin Atlantic partnership on 4 September. Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson joined gymnast Jake Jarman, Paralympic champion Kadeena Cox and Virgin Atlantic cabin crew for the announcement at London Heathrow.

Virgin Atlantic takes over a role long held by BA

British Airways has served Team GB since Beijing 2008, although its association with Britain’s Olympic athletes stretches further back, including carrying the British team to Sydney 2000.

BA was the official airline partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and continued its relationship with Team GB for Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. The airline was responsible for flying hundreds of athletes and support staff, together with their equipment.

Eurostar was appointed Team GB’s Official Travel Partner for Paris 2024 and transported the British athletes between London and Paris.

Virgin Atlantic’s appointment breaks a long-running association between the UK’s flag carrier and its Olympic team.

Los Angeles is one of Virgin Atlantic’s most important US destinations and a market where it already has substantial capacity.

Three daily Virgin Atlantic flights to Los Angeles

Virgin Atlantic currently operates three daily flights between London and Los Angeles, giving the airline a ready-made operation for moving athletes and their support teams to LA28.

Under the agreement, Virgin will provide additional support including tailored airport and check-in arrangements, extra baggage allowances and specialist handling of sporting and accessibility equipment.

Virgin Atlantic will also work with Team GB and ParalympicsGB on events leading up to the Games. Its cabin crew will participate in programmes including the teams’ Flagbearer initiatives.

The airline also plans special welcome-home events at Heathrow after the Games.

Dame Katherine Grainger, Team GB Chair, said: “Getting Team GB to a Games is a huge team effort long before competition begins, so having Virgin Atlantic with us on the journey to Los Angeles is incredibly exciting. From supporting the team’s travel to helping us celebrate the moments and people that make a Games so special, we’re looking forward to bringing fans even closer to Team GB on the road to LA28.”

Virgin plans new passenger wellness initiatives

Virgin Atlantic is also using the partnership to explore how techniques used in elite sport could improve the passenger experience.

Athletes will work with Virgin Atlantic’s customer experience teams on ways to help passengers arrive at their destinations rested and ready, with the first initiative launching at Heathrow in November.

The airline is partnering with 3 Peaks Health (3PH) to introduce a post-flight recovery experience in its Heathrow Revivals Lounge. It will include the Lumati Recharge Portal, which Virgin says will be offered at an airport for the first time.

The 15-minute treatment combines light therapy, vagus nerve stimulation and molecular hydrogen. Virgin says it is designed to support recovery from the effects of long-haul travel, including disrupted body clocks, stiffness and fatigue. Compression boots will also be available.

The programme was developed with 3PH co-founder Dr Mark Mikhail, an Imperial-trained doctor specialising in longevity and performance medicine who has worked in elite sport.

Virgin Atlantic is also working with Virgin StartUp on a nationwide competition seeking ideas from UK entrepreneurs to improve the customer experience. The challenge will focus on areas including accessibility, wellness and performance and is due to launch in early 2027.

Virgin puts accessibility at centre of Paralympics deal

Virgin Atlantic and ParalympicsGB plan to develop an accessible travel programme using input from Paralympic athletes, disability-inclusion specialists and people with lived experience.

The work will cover staff training, accessibility guidance and the broader passenger journey, potentially allowing lessons from transporting the ParalympicsGB team to influence Virgin Atlantic’s everyday passenger experience.

David Clarke, CEO of ParalympicsGB, said the organisations would work together “to help make air travel more accessible and inclusive for everyone.”

Branson: ‘Check-in for LA28 is officially open’

The Olympic partnership also gives Virgin Atlantic a major global marketing platform as it approaches its 45th anniversary in 2029.

Sir Richard Branson said he was “thrilled that Virgin Atlantic gets to be such an important part of their journey to the Games.”

“We’ll be backing them all the way – from check-in and take-off to what I hope will be a very special journey home,” Branson said.

“The Games might be two years away, but it’s the years of dedication, preparation, passion, and support that come before that make all the difference. So, as far as we’re concerned, check-in for LA28 is officially open!”

Virgin Atlantic Holidays will use the partnership to target British spectators travelling to California, offering curated itineraries around the Games.

The Los Angeles Olympic Games run from 14 to 30 July 2028, followed by the Paralympic Games from 15 to 27 August 2028.

British Airways loses a visible sporting partnership

BA made extensive use of its Olympic connections over previous Games, particularly around athletes’ departures and medal-winning teams returning to Heathrow.

Its current sponsorship portfolio still includes England Rugby, where BA is Official Airline Partner to both the men’s team and the Red Roses.

For Virgin Atlantic, the deal puts its aircraft, crews and Heathrow operation at the centre of one of Britain’s biggest sporting travel movements—and takes a high-profile role that had become strongly associated with its biggest UK rival.