-
Caribbean island’s tourism bleeds after Virgin Atlantic cuts capacity
TransportThere is a very fine line when writing a column like this. The risk of being branded as a pessimist is high. I only hope that readers will focus on the message that I am trying to convey and perhaps apply some of the content objectively to look at issues in a broader, more holistic [...]
-
Virgin Atlantic pegs $107 million loss on slow economy and Olympics impact
TransportU.K. billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. posted a full-year loss of 69.9 million pounds ($107 million), hurt by higher costs, sluggish economies and a dip in business travel during the Olympic Games. The main airline division had a loss of 93 million pounds, which was partially offset by a one-time gain of 35.4 million pounds [...]
-
New Virgin Atlantic uniforms to be designed by punk pioneer Vivienne Westwood
TransportVirgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. has hired U.K. designer Vivienne Westwood for the first makeover of its scarlet uniforms in a decade, turning to the pioneering figure of punk fashion to spearhead a renewal of the brand. The revamp of more than 7,500 outfits for cabin crew, pilots, lounge staff and Virgin Holidays employees will seek [...]
-
Government travel warnings do more harm than good, says Richard Branson
DestinationsForeign Office travel advisories do more harm than good, claims the Virgin founder. Sir Richard Branson has launched a scathing attack on the Foreign Office and other Western government departments for warning about terrorism in their travel advisories. In today’s newspaper, the Virgin founder demands an end to advice against visiting countries due to the [...]
-
Op-Ed by Richard Branson: Defeat terrorism through travel
DestinationsWhat a wonderful reaction from marathon runners, supporters, businesses, charities, government and people all over the world in supporting those affected by the Boston bombings. As well as showing support for victims, getting on with life is the best way to show terrorists they will not win. Thomas L Friedman wrote eloquently in The New [...]
-
Aer Lingus wants to be the short-haul solution for major European airlines
TransportAer Lingus Group Plc, Ireland’s national carrier, said it’s working on plans to fly short-haul routes for major European airlines keen to exit unprofitable services while retaining feeder traffic to their hubs. Accords with Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. and Nova Airlines AB of Sweden mark the beginning of the contract-flying strategy, with Aer Lingus pursuing [...]
-
Virgin Atlantic prevails in job bias claim
TransportA job hunter who accused Virgin Atlantic of racial discrimination has lost his case. Max Kpakio claimed he was rejected for an interview with the airline’s call centre because of his African surname – but said he was accepted when he re-applied under the more British sounding name Craig Owen. Virgin had denied the accusations [...]
-
Virgin Atlantic’s in-flight entertainment now takes flyers from gate to gate
TransportVirgin Atlantic have unveiled an all new ‘gate to gate’ in-flight entertainment system on board their planes, with passengers now being able to watch the service prior to take-off and leave it on during landing. The new service, which is available on the airline’s video on demand in-flight entertainment system, will offer passengers an additional [...]
-
Virgin Atlantic’s new CEO is going to make cuts, but says the cool will stay
TransportVirgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.’s new chief executive officer has given himself two years to cut costs and restore Richard Branson’s best-known brand to profitability without damaging its reputation for doing things differently. Craig Kreeger, who took over as CEO on Feb. 1, plans to freeze capacity, review staffing levels and squeeze the maximum benefit from [...]
-
Virgin Atlantic turns to Aer Lingus to feed its London hub
DestinationsVirgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., best- known for long-haul flights to New York and the Caribbean, is poised to roll out a third domestic route in a bid to funnel more passengers from northern Britain to its London hub. The service from Aberdeen in Scotland to Heathrow airport, commencing tomorrow, will take the number of daily [...]
