The airline, which is majority owned by tycoon Sir Richard Branson, has echoed a warning from its part-owner Delta Air Lines over the damaging impact that uncertainty surrounding the American economy has had on tourism.

Delta slashed its first-quarter profit estimates last month, citing weakening US consumer and business confidence as fears about tariffs and rising prices grip the public.

Virgin Atlantic - which specialises in connections between Britain and the US and the Caribbean - has reported a lower level of demand coming out of the US after a "very strong" start to 2025.

The company's chief financial officer Oli Byers told reporters: "When we say signals of a slowdown in demand... we've had weeks where it's been flat, we've had a few weeks where it's been negative.

"We think it's quite a natural reaction to the general consumer uncertainty there is in the US at the minute."

However, Byers stressed that travel from Britain to the US was "pretty strong".

He said: "We're seeing corporate demand being very robust and still growing significantly."

Virgin Atlantic was among the many airlines impacted by the almost day-long shutdown of Heathrow Airport - the company's main UK hub - last month as it cancelled 75 flights and diverted six as a result of the nearby fire.

Declining to comment on the specific cost to Virgin Atlantic, Byers said: "The cost for the home-based carriers is going to run into the tens of millions."