Sir Richard Branson Chairman of the Virgin Group has just been on BBC Radio 4,s the bottom line programme and has comfirmed that he is trying to buy rival uk airline bmi british midland.
Listen to it here. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/bottomline/bottomline.shtml
So who lives and who dies??
bmi british midland, bmi regional, bmi baby, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Express.
By: SHAMROCK321 - 23rd October 2006 at 18:31
Im quessing that the A319/320s would stay in LHR to feed the long haul VS flights.
I dont know if the bmi brand would stick around but if they could could get it back to where it was a few years ago they would do very well. I would be very surprised if the combined Virgin/bmi group didnt operate short haul routes from LHR.
By: tommyinyork - 23rd October 2006 at 15:43
Im guessing the A330’s would pass to Virgin Atlantic and the A319/A320s would be Virgin Express and them smaller Embrears would also move to Virgin Express.
By: SHAMROCK321 - 22nd October 2006 at 13:16
Virgin wouldnt really be stripping them of their slots if it was one company would they?
By: DarrenBe - 22nd October 2006 at 13:01
But does anyone know WHY Sir Richard is so desperate for bmi? Is he really interested in a short haul operation out of LHR – its a nice big black hole to throw your money into? I can’t see him being allowed to asset strip bmi of their LHR slots for longhaul – the government/EU would certainly have something to say.
Personally I think a takeover will be difficult whilst Sir Michael personally holds 50% + 1 share of the company – he bought out his two partners from the BBW group a while ago (LH/SAS own the rest). Unless Sir Michael invokes the agreement with SAS/LH and sells to them, I think Sir Richard will have a very tough time in his quest.
That said there have been plenty of rumours about the possibility of Sir Michael retiring at some point in the next couple of years, so who knows what could happen.
By: OneLeft - 22nd October 2006 at 12:39
A passenger asked me today how I felt about potentially working for Virgin! Has he got something wrong or are Virgin intent on ruling the world?
1L.
By: wysiwyg - 22nd October 2006 at 09:45
Bishop has been the thorn in the side that stopped this happening years ago. Virgin staff wanted it, bmi staff wanted it, it was just Bishop who didn’t. Rumour mill believes it is apparantly a takeover, not a merger.
By: LeeMan8 - 21st October 2006 at 22:23
I hope this does happen, even though I do like BD, it would be better for both if VS did buy BD.
By: tenthije - 21st October 2006 at 19:15
Virgin Express will die no doubt. They have been taken over by SNBA and I believe they currently hold the VEX name-rights.
Maybe the whole BMI group can be renamed something like Virgin Europe?
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October 21, 2006 at 7:07 pm