Chris Yeats/MANCHESTER
VIRGIN AIRWAYS is to enter the South African market in 1996, according to company boss Richard Branson. Speaking at the launch of Virgin's new scheduled service from Manchester to Orlando, Florida, he said: "We are 90% sure we'll be flying the route early next year."
Branson, the driving force behind the overhaul of the UK-South African bilateral to allow an additional carrier from each country on the route, abandoned an earlier attempt to launch the service, claiming that the slots available at Heathrow did not allow him to start a viable service.
Now he says that Virgin has "...managed to get three slots", and hopes to be allocated a further three or four "later in the year".
Virgin is expected to use Airbus A340s on the route between London and Johannesburg.
Branson scotches rumours of a deal with Avia Airlines - South Africa's newest carrier on the route - saying: "It is not completely out of the question, but I think it's unlikely."
He says that no decision is imminent on whether the Boeing 777 will enter the Virgin fleet. "What we have to decide is whether we want a mix of [Boeing] 747s, A340s and the 777 in a fleet that is not enormous. It's going to be at least another six months before we decide whether to take up options on the 777."
Meanwhile, he denies that there is anything untoward in the non-appearance of Virgin's 1994/5 results. "We are going through the best period ever...we're now definitely the second most profitable British airline."
Source: Flight International
