LHR Slots

Hi everyone, first time posting here

With the recent news that Virgin will lease 8 weekly slots to El Al for the winter season, I was wondering, how many total slots does Virgin typically lease out each season? Also, what’s the reason they don’t operate these slots themselves? Is it due to a shortage of aircraft or crew, or is leasing simply more profitable for them?

Thanks in advance

it's because in the winter demand is lower for flights to the USA and elsewhere. routes like JFK and SFO and LAX drop frequency. So leasing out to other airlines helps Virgin keep that slot in use.

it's because in the winter demand is lower for flights to the USA and elsewhere. routes like JFK and SFO and LAX drop frequency. So leasing out to other airlines helps Virgin keep that slot in use.

I’d have to disagree. They drop some frequencies to the US but they do operate Capetown, Dubai, Antigua, Maldives in the winter.

It’s could be due to lack of aircraft to operate the slots they have.

In this particular slot leasing case, the slot given up by VS is a JFK flight which is normal as they every winter they reduce the JFK schedule.
So nothing to worry about.

Keeps the slot in use so VS don’t lose it and also extra profit from the lease.

When not immediately needed a spark aircraft at different places at LHR. On one of the live streams last week I noted an aircraft parked at one of the disused gates between the gates around 340 and were the Quantas 380 spends its day. Does anyone know what those gates are/were? Thank you.

[mitchja]

VS also have more slots than they have A/C. It's not just El AL. Here'a re the slot trades from VS to other airlines for W25 + S26:

Screenshot 2025-12-01 at 08.48.27.png (176.64 KiB) Viewed 1389 times

It's a nice little revenue earner for VS plus there's the use them or loose them rule as well. LHR slots are now the most valuable in the world so they are assets worth holding onto at any cost. I suspect this is where VS get some of their investment from that was mentioned the other month for the B789 refits.

I wonder how many more LHR slots VS would have if it had acquired BMI. Because I think thats why it had struggled so much in the late 2010’s due to lack of slots and growth.