Virgin Atlantic teams up with Team GB and ParalympicsGB

CHECK IN FOR LOS ANGELES 2028 IS NOW OPEN
 

• Virgin Atlantic announced as Official Airline Partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB for Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with Virgin Atlantic Holidays as Official Holiday Partner  

• Virgin Atlantic founder Sir Richard Branson tried his hand at the start blocks and expert landings with Olympic gymnast Jake Jarman, Paralympic sprinter and cyclist Kadeena Cox at London Heathrow today  

• The airline will be offering official curated itineraries for fans travelling to LA28 and support for athletes travelling to compete 

• The journey to LA28 will shape the experience, and the airline will work with elite athletes and experts on customer experience innovations to ensure customers arrive feeling at their best – an example includes a brand new recovery experience at the Virgin Atlantic Heathrow Revivals lounge  

• A Virgin Atlantic and Virgin StartUp Innovation Challenge will search for the UK’s brightest entrepreneurial minds to help innovate the Virgin Atlantic customer journey, from problem solving accessibility issues, to bringing fresh thinking to wellness and performance 

London, 4 September 2026: Virgin Atlantic has been announced as the Official Airline Partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with Virgin Atlantic Holidays as the Official Holiday Partner.

With LA28 two years away, the journey starts today. Virgin Atlantic founder Sir Richard Branson joined athletes Jake Jarman and Kadeena Cox and cabin crew at London Heathrow to declare check in for LA28 officially open. 
 

Check in for LA28

For Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes, the moments that matter in Los Angeles will be shaped by years of dedication, preparation, passion, and support. Virgin Atlantic will be part of that journey to help teams arrive ready, by providing extensive travel support for Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes and their teams travelling on the airline’s three daily flights between London and Los Angeles. This includes tailored airport and check-in support, additional baggage provision and specialist handling for the sporting and accessibility equipment that comes with flying world-class teams on tour. 

Virgin Atlantic Holidays will become the Official Holiday Partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB, helping fans to make memorable Games moments with curated itineraries to make the most of being on the ground in California.

The partnership will also bring Virgin Atlantic customers and colleagues closer to the action. On the road to LA28, the airline will work with athletes at customer and colleague events and co-host team announcement moments. Virgin Atlantic crew will play a role in programmes on the ground including the teams’ Flagbearer programmes, celebrating the athletes chosen for one of the most iconic honours of the Games. 

Once the competition is over and the teams’ bags are coming home a little heavier, Virgin Atlantic will roll out the red carpet at Heathrow, working with both Team GB and ParalympicsGB on special Welcome Home moments for returning athletes.
 

Arrive ready, arrive energised

The partnership will bring elite performance thinking into Virgin Atlantic journeys, with athletes and customer experience teams working together to unlock fresh ways to help teams and customers to arrive rested and ready for their destination. 

To kick things off, Virgin Atlantic is teaming up with 3 Peaks Health (3PH) to bring a new post-flight recovery experience to its Heathrow Revivals Lounge, set to launch in November.  At its heart will be the Lumati Recharge Portal – launching in an airport for the first time – a 15-minute treatment combining light therapy, vagus nerve stimulation and molecular hydrogen, designed to support the body’s recovery after long-haul travel, from disrupted body clocks to stiffness and fatigue. 

The experience will also include compression boots, helping customers recharge and “arrive ready” after their flight. The programme has been developed with 3PH co-founder Dr Mark Mikhail, an Imperial-trained doctor specialising in longevity and performance medicine, with experience in elite sport.
 

Evolving the travel experience for all

Virgin Atlantic and ParalympicsGB will work together on an accessible travel programme designed to help everyone feel confident, understood and empowered to travel. The programme will draw on insight from ParalympicsGB athletes, disability-inclusion specialists and lived-experience groups to inform areas including colleague learning, accessibility guidance and the wider travel experience, building on Virgin Atlantic’s purpose to ensure everyone can take on the world.
 

Discovering the next generation of entrepreneurs with Virgin StartUp

In addition, Virgin Atlantic will partner with Virgin StartUp to announce a nationwide search for the UK’s brightest entrepreneurial minds to help innovate the customer journey, from problem solving accessibility issues, to bringing fresh thinking to wellness and performance. The innovation challenge will be launched in early 2027.
 

Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Group Founder said: “I’ve always loved a challenge and Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes certainly know a thing or two about stepping up to the plate. I’m 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. What I love about sport is seeing what brilliant people can achieve when they dream big, work hard and have a great team behind them.

“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!” 
 

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.”
 

David Clarke, ParalympicsGB CEO, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Virgin Atlantic as an Official Airline Partner and Gold Partner of ParalympicsGB. Not only will we work together to take our team to and from the games, but crucially, the partnership will see our teams working closely together to help make air travel more accessible and inclusive for everyone.” 

ENDS

For more information please contact press.office@fly.virgin.com

About Virgin Atlantic  

Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2025, the airline was voted Britain’s only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the ninth year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs 9,250 people worldwide, flying customers to 28 destinations throughout the year.   

Alongside shareholder and partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. In 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers. Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam in 2023, as the global airline alliance’s first and only UK member airline, enhancing SkyTeam’s transatlantic network to and from London Heathrow and Manchester.   

Virgin Atlantic has been pioneering sustainability leadership for more than 15 years, committing to Net Zero by 2050 and continuous action that reduces environmental impact. The airline operates one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the skies, with an average age of 7.5yrs. In 2022, Virgin Atlantic welcomed its first A330-900’s to the fleet, continuing its transformation towards 100% next generation aircraft by 2028. 

For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic.     

About Team GB

Team GB is the national Olympic team of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the face of the British Olympic Association (BOA). The role of the BOA is to prepare and lead Team GB athletes at all Olympic events, and to develop, promote and protect the Olympic Movement and Olympic values within the UK. Their vision is to unite and inspire the nation through the power of Olympic sport, bringing the country together behind a team that everyone can believe in.

Team GB is the only nation to have won a gold medal at every Summer Olympic Games since the first modern Olympics in 1896. At Milano Cortina 2026, Team GB delivered its most successful Olympic Winter Games ever, winning five medals, including three historic golds.

The BOA is independent, privately funded and receives no annual funding from the lottery or government. The success of Team GB is wholly dependent on support from commercial partners, patrons and income generated from fundraising events.

About ParalympicsGB

ParalympicsGB is the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic team competing at the summer and winter Paralympic Games. We know that the outstanding performances of our athletes have a powerful impact on the British public and can shift perceptions of disability in society, helping to inspire a better world for disabled people. 

We have a proud history as the United Kingdom is the birthplace of Paralympic sport which began with the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948 and has grown to become one of the biggest sporting events in the world. 

ParalympicsGB is the UK’s largest disability sports charity and relies on the support of its commercial partners to deliver a world class environment where athletes can achieve their personal best performances and break down barriers for all disabled people.