SYDNEY – Two events in different parts of the world have provided the opportunity for Sir Richard Branson to link his airlines in a global network.
In the United States, Virgin America – the low-cost airline backed by Branson – has won approval to start US flights.
The provisional approval takes Branson closer to his goal of expanding the Virgin brand in the world’s largest airline market.
Virgin America plans to begin with New York-San Francisco flights and add services to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Washington Dulles.
In Sydney, Virgin Blue said yesterday that it is acquiring six Boeing 777-300ER, with an option for a seventh, which it will employ on a new, as-yet unnamed long-haul international airline, flying between the east coast of Australia and the US west coast.
The new airline will launch in 2008.
An Australia-US link across the Pacific will take Virgin back into America, linking with Virgin Atlantic services across the Atlantic to London.
Virgin Blue also announced that it would become the first Australian airline to allow passengers to offset the carbon emissions from their flights for an average cost of A$1.15 a flight. The money will be used to buy abatement from projects in Australia and New Zealand.
In another boost for Virgin, Australian carriers have been granted reciprocal capacity rights to fly to destinations in the United Arab Emirates following a decision by the Australian government to grant Emirates approval to fly 35 additional services and Etihad Airways 21 services to Australia each week.
The ruling opens up another possibility for Virgin: flying passengers on the Kangaroo route from London to Australia via Dubai.
