- News>
- Companies & Commodities
Virgin ups stakes in Concorde bid, offers GBP 1 mn per plane
London, June 22: Virgin Atlantic boss Richard Branson today upped the stakes in his high-profile attempt to keep Concorde flying by offering British Airways one million pounds (1.7 million dollars) for each of the company`s five needle-nosed plane.
London, June 22: Virgin Atlantic boss Richard Branson today upped the stakes in his high-profile attempt to keep Concorde flying by offering British Airways one million pounds (1.7 million dollars) for each of the company's five needle-nosed plane.
The new bid -- up from a previous offer of just one pound for each of the aging supersonic jets -- marks perhaps the last desperate attempt by the flamboyant tycoon to buy Condorde.
British Airways, which is pensioning off its five working Concordes in October, has repeatedly insisted the jet has reached the end of its operating life and cannot be safely kept in the skies.
Air France, the only other carrier to fly the Anglo-French craft, has already ended its Concorde services.
"We have operators ready to help us keep it flying and would serve New York, Barbados and Dubai -- a new destination for the plane," Branson said in a statement.
"We hope we succeed but ultimately, that ball is in BA's court."
As an alternative plan, Branson said, a "heritage trust" could be jointly set up by Virgin, BA, Air France and Concorde's manufacturers to keep two planes flying for a limited service.
Bureau Report
British Airways, which is pensioning off its five working Concordes in October, has repeatedly insisted the jet has reached the end of its operating life and cannot be safely kept in the skies.
Air France, the only other carrier to fly the Anglo-French craft, has already ended its Concorde services.
"We have operators ready to help us keep it flying and would serve New York, Barbados and Dubai -- a new destination for the plane," Branson said in a statement.
"We hope we succeed but ultimately, that ball is in BA's court."
As an alternative plan, Branson said, a "heritage trust" could be jointly set up by Virgin, BA, Air France and Concorde's manufacturers to keep two planes flying for a limited service.
Bureau Report