Virgin Atlantic boss Craig Kreeger will retire at the end of the year, the airline has announced.

Shai Weiss, who joined the carrier in August 2012, will take over as chief executive on January 1 next year.

He took on the role of chief financial officer in July 2014, and has been chief commercial officer since January 2017.

Virgin Galactic
Sir Richard Branson paid tribute to Mr Kreeger (Nigel French/PA)

Mr Kreeger said: “Ever since my appointment as CEO in February 2013, I set out to ensure Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays realise their full potential by empowering our people to provide a uniquely Virgin Atlantic service which truly delights and excites our customers.

“All this, as we made our partnership with Delta the natural choice for passengers across the Atlantic and transformed the financial performance of the company.”

Virgin Atlantic president Sir Richard Branson said: “I want to thank Craig for the fantastic job he has done in leading Virgin Atlantic these past five years.

“He has focused our people on providing the best customer service by refreshing our onboard experience, bringing in new planes and bringing us closer to our partner Delta, opening more destinations and opportunities for our flyers.

“I’ve worked closely with Shai for more than a decade and know his drive, commitment and passion mean the airline and our amazing people are in great hands.

“The next few years are exciting as we build on the opportunities created by our expanded partnership with Delta and Air France-KLM to bring in more new planes and access to more routes.”