Virgin Group chairman Sir Richard Branson expects to finalise his strategy for the launch of a new US carrier within weeks.
Branson, chairman of long-haul carrier Virgin Atlantic, has long held ambitions to add a US domestic arm to his operation. Speaking at the unveiling of the Virgin Atlantic-sponsored GlobalFlyer aircraft in Mojave earlier this month, Branson said he was "two to three weeks away" from deciding whether to link with an existing carrier or start up independently. "We've got two sets of talks going on, one to take over a chunk of another airline's slots, and the other to launch from scratch as a start-up," he says.
Discussions are ongoing with Airbus and Boeing about narrowbody equipment, with a deal envisaged last year for around 10-15 aircraft. Branson says these talks will be finalised once the number of aircraft is established.
Branson recently completed final interviews for the airline's chief executive in New York, and says the airline is still on course to be launched this year. Three bases have reportedly been shortlisted: Boston, Washington DC and San Francisco.
Source: Flight International
