US to lift the UK and Europe Travel Ban

The US will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated arrivals from the UK and EU in early November, the White House has confirmed.

Non-US travellers will be required to show proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 as part of the new rules. They will also have to provide evidence of having tested negative for Covid-19 up to 87 hours prior to departure.

 

Unvaccinated arrivals will likely be subject to additional testing requirements, the White House has intimated.

 

White House Covid coordinator Jeffrey Zients confirmed early details of the US’s travel plan to national press outlets in the US on Monday afternoon (20 September).

 

The move will bring to an end what will by November be a 20-month ban on most travel to the US for non-US citizens. The ban was originally introduced by the Trump administration on 17 March 2020 in the early stages of the Covid crisis.

 

Prime minister Boris Johnson travelled to the US on Monday to discuss international travel arrangements with US president Joe Biden.

The World Travel and Tourism Council said the readmission of UK visitors to the US was a vital move.

 

Julia Simpson, WTTC president and chief executive, said: “The UK alone represents 8% of all inbound travel to the US, accounting for $40 million per day to the nation’s economy.

“WTTC has long been calling for the US to reopen and our research shows that by opening its borders to key markets such as the UK, it will pump $198 million back into the US economy every single day.”

Proof of how much the US ban has affected the UK travel industry is underlined by stats from Cirium.

 

They show that from 1 January to 19 September this year, the major airlines flew 8,380 one-way flights across the Atlantic, a 76% drop on the same period in 2019, which saw more than 35,000.

 

The ban led to the demise of Norwegian’s long-haul arm and led Virgin Atlantic to go running to the banks to seek refinancing. It also saw BA permanently axe two US routes, including Charleston.

 

The ban also meant the long-awaited debut of JetBlue’s transatlantic services was more low key, with the New York carrier launching Heathrow-JFK in August and immediately paring back its schedule.

 

JetBlue’s Gatwick launch, on 29 September will also be scaled back, with four flights a week, but the announcement from Washington is timely for the carrier.

 

The reopening will also boost new airline Norse Atlantic Airways, which had gambled on a relaxation of restrictions by early 2022 when Norse will use some of Norwegian’s former fleet to start US flights from Gatwick.

 

Before the announcement, tour operators had reported pent-up demand for the US, but mostly for 2022 and beyond, so the news will only add fuel to demand for next year. In the near term, the relatively small market for winter sports in the US will receive a boost, as will Caribbean cruise departures from Miami.

Flybe is set to relaunch this summer

Flybe is set to relaunch this summer after a consortium agreed to purchase the business and assets.

The brand, intellectual property, stock and equipment have been sold to investors affiliated with former part-owner Cyrus Capital, a venture capital firm.

 

Flybe collapsed in March 2020, having been bought a year earlier for just £2.2 million by a consortium of Cyrus Capital, Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Group.

 

The new owners of Flybe Limited sealed the deal with Flybe’s administrators and will not take on the previous company’s debts.

 

They said: “Subject to further success with vaccinations and relaxation of travel restrictions, we plan to launch a new and much improved Flybe sometime this summer on many of our former routes where there remains a critical need for a strong, reliable, and customer-focused airline.

 

“While our company will initially be smaller than before, we intend to grow, create valuable jobs, and make significant contributions to essential regional connectivity in the UK and EU.”

 

Prior to administration, Exeter-based Flybe carried around eight million passengers a year to 81 airports. At Southampton, it comprised more than 80% of the airport’s traffic. Many of its routes have already been replaced by Loganair and Eastern Airways.

 

NCL INTRODUCES NEW FLY-CRUISE BOOKING TOOL

Norwegian Cruise Line has launched a new booking platform for fly-cruise itineraries.

The line claims NCL Air will transform the way agents make bookings of this type.

 

NCL Air offers real-time access and current pricing to flights from the UK and Ireland to departure ports around the world.

 

Agents earn “a minimum 10% commission on the entire flight package”.

The line said: “With NCL Air, agents can offer flight options from a wide variety of regional gateways and can opt for exclusive NCL-contracted fares, which give guests greater flexibility, or restricted fares at more attractive pricing that are subject to payment and cancellation restrictions. It also allows for easy upgrades to premium economy, business and first-class flights.”

Fares include checked baggage and airport and port round-trip transfers as well as a pre-cruise hotel night, can be added.

 

All cabin classes and airlines bookable through Amadeus, including British Airways, Jet2.com, Virgin Atlantic, EasyJet and KLM are available.

 

To mark NCL Air’s introduction, NCL is giving agents the opportunity to win a fly-cruise for two onboard Norwegian Epic or Norwegian Dawn. Agents will be entered into a prize draw for every fly-cruise booking they make using NCL Air before 31 December 2020.

 

As an alternative prize, NCL is offering tickets to hit musical Six, which will tour the UK in 2021.

“This new air tool is precisely what we’ve been looking for as a great addition to the tech made available to us by NCL”, said Dave Mills, vice president global supply director of Iglu.

 

“These days, more than ever, being able to offer customers both choice and reassurance that the holiday they’ve been looking forward to for so long can be tailored exactly to their requirements is a huge benefit. Agents are going to love it."

Branson to sell $500m space venture stake to support Virgin Atlantic

Branson to sell $500m space venture stake to support Virgin Atlantic

Sir Richard Branson aims to shore up his airline and travel interests hit by the coronavirus global travel shutdown by selling $500 million in Virgin Galactic shares.

Virgin Group told the New York Stock Exchange it planned to sell 25 million shares in the space tourism venture in a series of transactions.

The company said: “Virgin intends to use any proceeds to support its portfolio of global leisure, holiday and travel businesses that have been affected by the unprecedented impact of Covid-19.”

The freeze in global travel is affecting a host of Virgin Group companies, including Virgin Atlantic as well as its holidays, cruises and hotels businesses.

Virgin Atlantic last week announced it would cut 3,150 jobs, move it Gatwick operation to Heathrow and rebrand Virgin Holidays.

Chief executive Shai Weiss insisted at the weekend that he was “100% confident” the airline can survive the Covid-19 crisis.

The airline, in which founder Branson still holds a majority 51% stake, has been seeking emergency investment as well as some form of state aid while the majority of its fleet remains grounded.

About a dozen investment groups have been reported as showing interest in the UK long-haul carrier while talks continue with the Treasury and transport secretary Grant Shapps.

The airline was told last month that it needed to resubmit a £500 million bid for government state aid amid reports the Treasury had felt the carrier had nit exhausted other options.

Virgin Australia entered administration last month as the airline industry struggles to survive global travel restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

DOT orders airlines to pay out refunds

Photo Credit: Oliver Le Moal/Shutterstock

The Transportation Department on Friday issued an enforcement notice, telling airlines that they remain obligated to pay out refunds for flights that they have cancelled. 

The order was prompted by an increase in complaints from ticketed passengers who have been denied refunds, the DOT said. Airlines instead are often giving travel vouchers. 

“The longstanding obligation of carriers to provide refunds for flights that carriers cancel or significantly delay does not cease when the flight disruptions are outside of the carrier’s control,” the DOT said in the order. “The focus is not on whether the flight disruptions are within or outside the carrier’s control, but rather on the fact that the cancellation is through no fault of the passenger.”

The unprecedented schedule cuts airlines have made in response to the Covid-19 crisis has left the airline industry with a $35 billion refund liability worldwide, according to a recent IATA estimate. 

With airlines already struggling due to enormous losses in revenue, IATA has been lobbying governments to suspend refund requirements. Thus far Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Colombia have issued favourable rulings for airlines.

Airlines have also acted individually to make refunds more challenging to obtain. Some have stopped processing them entirely while many others are making it difficult for customers to find information on applying for refunds. In the U.S., United recently altered its refund process so that international ticket holders will have to wait a year to get repaid for a flight cancelled by the airline. 

In addition, 33 airlines (as of April 3) have unilaterally suspended refunds through the GDSs or ARC’s Interactive Agent Reporting system, forcing travel advisors to deal directly with the carrier. 

Meanwhile, the sheer volume of refund transactions facing airlines that are still processing them in the GDS has compelled ARC to delay its weekly remittance schedule. ARC will now turn over refunds to agencies 10 days after the Sunday end of each business week, rather than five. That decision, said ARC’s managing director of airline services Chuck Fischer, was prompted by the fact that with current refund volumes, many airlines simply can’t go through their procedures fast enough to meet the five-day schedule.

Fischer said ARC doesn’t like that some airlines have cut off GDS refund processing, “but we can’t stop them from doing that.”

IATA, which oversees agent channel billing and settlement for most of the world other than the U.S., has no such reluctance. In an open letter to travel agents Thursday, IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac said that the best solution right now for airlines and agents alike is for governments to suspend refund requirements.

“This would remove the pressure that is currently on agents to issue cash refunds at a time when airlines are making decisions based on their own need to preserve cash,” he wrote. 

The DOT’s enforcement notice pushes back against such airline efforts. The department stated that it considers any contract of carriage provision by an airline that denies refunds for cancellations or significant schedule changes to be a regulatory violation. (The DOT does not specifically define “significant schedule change.” A DOT spokesperson said it is determined on a case-by-case basis.) The notice applies to both U.S. and foreign carriers that operate in the U.S. 

The department said that for now, it will hold off on enforcement action against airlines that have provided travel vouchers in lieu of refunds to travellers with cancelled flights, but only if they meet three conditions:  

• Carriers must contact passengers to tell them they have an option for a refund.

• They must update contacts of carriage to make refund rights clear.

• They must brief all relevant personnel on the circumstances in which refunds should be made.  

Costa Cruises ship cleared after coronavirus scare

Costa Cruises ship cleared after coronavirus scare
 

The fear of a potential outbreak of coronavirus on one of the world’s largest cruise ships has turned out to be a false alarm.

Costa Cruises confirmed that Italian health officials diagnosed a passenger onboard the 6,000-passenger Costa Smeralda with the “common flu”.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that two members from the same family in England have the first cases of coronavirus in the UK.

Passengers on the Costa ship had been placed in quarantine as a precaution over a suspected case of the deadly virus in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome.

At least 66 British passengers were reported to be on board the vessel at the time.

A 54-year-old woman from Macau held in isolation on the ship with her husband had reportedly flown from Hong Kong to join the Mediterranean cruise.

A Costa Cruises spokesperson said: “Thanks to the protocols that are applied on board the fleet, Wednesday night our medical team promptly identified a suspected fever case in a 54-year-old woman, just a few hours before the ship’s arrival in Civitavecchia.


“As soon as the case was discovered, the required precautionary procedures were immediately taken. The relevant authorities were informed and, upon arrival of the ship in the port of Civitavecchia, they carried out all the required checks.

“While we appreciate the inconvenience caused, the procedures in force and our co-operation with the health authorities were effective in managing the situation and intended to ensure maximum safety for our guests, crew and the community as a whole.”

The ship will remain docked at Civitavecchia until today and miss the port of La Spezia before returning to its homeport of Savona.

MSC Magnifica in Queensferry, Scotland, photo credit Dave Jones

The scare came as rival line MSC Cruises announced a new series of strict “precautionary measures” across its fleet due to the coronavirus outbreak in China which has caused 213 deaths in the country and triggered a World Heath Organisation global health emergency.

    Guests from all nationalities are required to fill out a pre-embarkation questionnaire to ensure no-one boards their ship who has travelled from mainland China or visited mainland China in the past 30 days. Anyone who has travelled from mainland China or visited mainland China in the past 30 days will be denied access to the ship;

    Mandatory non-touch thermal scans conducted for all guests and crew prior to embarkation for every cruise operated by the company anywhere in the world, and persons with signs or symptoms of illness such as fever or feverishness, chills, cough or difficulty breathing will be denied embarkation;

    Elevated deep-sanitation on every ship in the line’s entire fleet;

    Guests who may have fever symptoms will be isolated in their cabin and the same measure applies for their close contacts, including guests staying in the same cabin and family members, as well as any crew member who may have served these guests.

A spokesman said: “While there are no cases of coronavirus on board any of MSC Cruises’ ships these measures are additional steps to secure the health and well-being of all guests and crew.”

“These measures follow previous actions that were taken last week,” the spokesman added.

“Guests and crew who travelled last week from mainland China were already screened for symptoms upon embarkation and were requested to report any symptoms of illness to the onboard medical centre.

“Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, MSC Cruises has been closely monitoring the public health and safety situation in each of the regions its ships sail.

“The company has been consulting with international and local health authorities to follow their advice and recommendations.”

The move came after the line cancelled the next three MSC Splendida sailings from Shanghai.

The ship’s four and five-night sailings from Shanghai to Japan on February 1, 5 and 9 will not operate.

MSC Splendida, deployed in Asia for the winter, will reposition to Singapore to start a 27-night repositioning voyage to the Middle East and Europe on February 14.

The line’s chief executive Gianni Onorato said: “The decision to reposition the ship from Shanghai to Singapore has been taken in the best interests of the safety and wellbeing for our passengers and crew, as was the decision to cancel our next three scheduled sailings from China.

“Many major airlines have either cancelled or reduced their flight frequency to China and the grand voyage, a maritime tradition whereby a ship moves from one part of the world to another for a new sailing season, was entirely booked with guests flying from abroad to enjoy the experience of a unique itinerary.

“In light of Singapore becoming a new embarkation port we have had to cancel calls to Naha, Japan and Hong Kong but it has also created an opportunity to update and enrich the grand voyage’s itinerary with four additional new ports; Langkawi, Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, plus Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to create a new, one-of-a-kind memorable cruise.”

Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Has Completed her Sea Trials and She’s Looking Pretty Epic

Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Has Completed her Sea Trials and She’s Looking Pretty Epic

Get a first-look of the new ship, along with behind-the-scenes action with Sir Richard Branson himself here...

She’s set to be one of the most exciting ship launches of 2020 (if not ever), and now finally, Scarlet Lady has completed her sea trials.

The debut ship from Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady, is set to launch in April next year but found her sea legs last month sailing from Genoa to Marseille, and then back again.

Setting sail on 15 November, Scarlet Lady sailed from Genoa to Marseille, before sailing back to Genoa on 27 November, arriving three days later.

Richard Branson joined the Virgin Voyages senior management, team

The man himself, Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson boarded the ship in Marseille, touring the ship with his wife Joan and children Sam and Holly.

CEO Tom McAlpin was also on board, along with Chief Commercial Officer Nirmal Saverimuttu, SVP of Design Dee Cooper and CEO of Virgin Atlantic, Shai Weiss.

During the excitement, Branson ceremoniously painted the outline of the Virgin flag on the hull of the ship where the Virgin Voyages logo will appear.

Sir Richard Branson looks delighted at his new ship

Sea trials show whether a new ship is smooth, stable and quiet, and will provide a comfortable sailing experience to those on board.

“We’re thrilled to have completed such a significant milestone with our Sea Trials and have our amazing crew to thank for their passion and tenacity in this achievement,” said McAlpin.

“We’re one step closer to getting our Sailors on the Scarlet Lady and are grateful for all that have chosen to join us on this adventure.”

Sir Richard even had a go at painting the outline of the Virgin Voyages flag…

Setting sail on her maiden voyage on 1 April 2020, Scarlet Lady is set to change the way non-cruisers view cruising, hoping to attract a younger, new-to-cruise audience.

The first sailing will have special celebrity guest appearances, events and surprises, as she sails around the Caribbean and Bahamian islands.

Virgin Voyages’ second cruise ship was also recently announced, with the line revealing Valiant Lady will sail around the Mediterranean in 2021…

Visit virginvoyages.com for more information.

Virgin Voyages to name first ship Scarlet Lady

Virgin Voyages to name first ship Scarlet Lady

Virgin Voyages will name its first ship Scarlet Lady as it plans to launch a programme to recruit more female crew members in male-dominated roles.

Sir Richard Branson revealed the name today at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa where it is being built.

The name, which also appeared on one of the earliest Virgin Atlantic planes, “reflects the brand’s iconic mermaid image”, according to the line, which will appear on the hull of the adult-only ship due to launch in 2020.

Virgin Voyages will launch a “Scarlet Squad” initiative aimed at recruiting and mentoring female crew in onboard areas such as marine, technical and hotel management, which statistically show low numbers of female staff and senior management.

Travel Weekly joined Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard and Virgin Voyages president and chief executive Tom McAlpin in Italy where the line was celebrating construction milestones, including the flooding of the ship’s drydock and a ceremony to cut the first pieces of steel for its second ship, due for delivery in 2021. Virgin Voyages will launch the third ship in 2022.

More details of the ship’s onboard features were also revealed.

“Across the maritime industry, we can do better in onboard recruiting and leadership representation for women,” McAlpin said. “I want all future crew to know that Virgin Voyages will create an onboard environment that is fair, inclusive and where everyone has an opportunity to reach their full potential.”

Sir Richard and McAlpin also announced the company will eliminate the use of passenger-facing single-use plastics, including straws, bottled water, other beverage bottles, condiment packets, shopping bags, food packaging, stirrers, and take-away coffee and tea cups.

The company will emphasize the use of recyclable and reusable materials across the ship.

Complimentary filtered still and sparkling water will be available at all bars and restaurants, as well as at Natura filtered water stations on the ship.

“Nothing makes me prouder than seeing companies like Virgin Voyages striving to make a positive impact on the world we live in,” Sir Richard said. “Business is a force for good and can and must be the catalyst for global change.”

“We believe that in order to fulfil our purpose of creating an ‘Epic Sea Change for All,’ we must make a commitment that is bigger than just eliminating straws,” added McAlpin. “We must make a commitment to building ships and experiences that do everything possible to look after the well-being of our precious oceans. We are delighted with what we’ve achieved so far and will continue to push ourselves to look for innovative ways to do things that will make a difference.”

Richard Branson's cruise venture named Virgin Voyages

Richard Branson, accompanied by dancers, makes his entrance during Tuesday's Virgin Voyages event. Photo Credit: Robert Silk

MIAMI BEACH — The Virgin Group cruise line will sail under the name Virgin Voyages, the company said Tuesday.

“I’ve never fancied going on a cruise ship but I do fancy going on a voyage,” said Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, shortly after making his characteristically flamboyant entrance to the press conference at the Faena Hotel Miami Beach.

The line had been going by the name Virgin Cruises since the venture was announced in the summer of 2015.

Virgin Voyages CEO Tom McAlpin said that the company remains on track to take delivery of the first of three 110,000-gross-ton ships that it has on order from Fincantieri in 2020, with the next two ships to follow in 2021 and 2022.

Fincantieri will begin cutting steel in February, he said, and keel laying will come toward the end of 2017.

Virgin didn’t reveal many details about the vessels, which are each slated to carry 2,700 guests and 1,150 crew members. But the company is promising a transformative product that will differentiate the Virgin Voyages experience from other cruise lines.

“It’s incredibly exciting. It’s under lock and key,” Branson said of the design specifics and ship offerings, noting that he didn’t want Virgin’s competitors to learn too much too soon.

One thing McAlpin did reveal is that Virgin Voyages is the first cruise line to enter into a partnership with Climeon, a Swedish green energy solutions company.

Together the companies will install a system on the Virgin vessels that will convert the heat the ships produce into clean energy. Each ship will have six Climeon engine units, which will save an estimated 5,400 tons of carbon dioxide annually per vessel.

“It would take 180,000 trees 30 years to absorb this much CO2,” McAlpin said. 

He said that Virgin has all but completed a multibillion-dollar financing deal with lead lending partners CDP and UniCredit, backed by the Italian export agency SACE.

“We just need the final rubber stamp from the Italian government,” McAlpin said.

Virgin Cruises tasked with offering distinctive experience on smaller ships

Virgin Cruise Concept Drawing.

Virgin Cruises’ decision to order ships that are smaller than those commissioned recently by its future competitors has prompted questions about whether it will have enough room to fashion a distinctive onboard experience.

The line, part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group business empire, in June ordered three ships from the Fincantieri shipyard for delivery after 2020, when it plans to launch weekly Caribbean cruises.

The ships will each be about 110,000 gross tons and carry 2,860 passengers at double capacity, Branson revealed at an appearance in Miami last month along with Virgin executives.

That capacity is far less than recent orders, for example, for as much as 6,000 passengers for Carnival Corp.’s Aida Cruises brand in Germany, 5,400 for Royal Caribbean International, 4,500 for MSC Cruises, 4,200 for and 3,954 for Carnival Cruise Line.

All those lines sail at least one ship from Miami, the homeport where Branson said Virgin will launch its line.   

When it comes to setting prices, larger ships provide economies of scale that can help reduce fares while still generating profits.

“Virgin is in a very difficult position to differentiate themselves from everybody else. The key for their success is how they differentiate their onboard product.” — Art Rodney, Crystal Cruises founder

Tom McAlpin, president and CEO of Virgin Cruises, said that while pricing has not been disclosed, it will likely be above the cheapest fares advertised for seven-day itineraries.

“We’re not going to be a budget brand,” McAlpin said in an interview. “What Virgin has done in the past has been to give you a better experience at the same price point.”

To do that, it helps to have a generous amount of public space to work with. Virgin has not disclosed its onboard activities or designs yet but has emphasized that it will stand apart from the pack.

A key measure for new ships is the space ratio, which divides gross tonnage into the number of passengers carried. The higher the ratio, the more room for larger cabins and public spaces.

Mark Conroy, who helped design several ships as president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises in the 1990s, said the key question is how big the cabins will be on Virgin Cruises.

 “There is only so much square footage, particularly outside space, that needs to be divided between technical space, public spaces and staterooms,” Conroy said. “The technical space is pretty standardized, so then it becomes a balancing act between public space and suites and cabins. The larger you make the suites/cabins, the less space you have for public room.”

Art Rodney, one of the founders of Crystal Cruises, said that at 38.5, the Virgin ship’s space ratio is “no better than and in some cases worse than other large ships,” such as the MSC Divina or Royal Princess, both of which have space ratios of 40.

“Virgin is in a very difficult position to differentiate themselves from everybody else,” Rodney said. “The key for their success is how they differentiate their onboard product.”

McAlpin agreed, saying the “different programmatic elements” will set Virgin apart.

He said the ships are still in the design phase and urged potential passengers to weigh in on Virgin’s website to say what they would want to see and do on a Virgin vessel.

But McAlpin also said that if the ship is smaller than its competitors, that will make it different too.

“If everyone out there is building ships of one size and you have a different size, it does provide a level of differentiation,” he said.

McAlpin cited consumer research as the main factor in deciding how big to build. He said those surveyed expressed concerns about being on a mega ship with thousands of fellow passengers.

“We believe a slightly smaller ship gives us a good platform,” McAlpin said. “It’s big enough to provide us with a variety of experiences but small enough to provide a more intimate atmosphere.”

Virgin Group confirms entry into cruise business

By Tom Stieghorst

Virgin Group announced that it has formed Virgin Cruises, making official its rumored entry into the global cruise industry.

The collection of companies run by British entrepreneur Richard Branson is perhaps most well known for Virgin Atlantic Airways. It has also started a hotel brand, with its first U.S. property to open in Chicago.

In its announcement, Virgin said it has hired Tom McAlpin to be CEO. Most recently, McAlpin had been president and CEO of The World, Residences at Sea. He was also part of the founding management team at Disney Cruise Line, and served as its president.

Virgin Cruises will be head quartered in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area, the company said. Virgin said it plans to build two “world class” cruise ships.

Details about the timing of Virgin’s start of operations are being withheld for competitive reasons, the company said.
Bain Capital has been named lead investment partner.

“We plan to shake up the cruise industry and deliver a holiday that customers will absolutely love,” Branson said in a statement. "They’ll be sailing on the latest ships offering great quality, a real sense of fun, and many exciting activities all delivered with the famed Virgin service.”

Virgin Galactic takes key step toward commercial space travel

By Kate Rice

Virgin Galactic completed the first rocket-powered flight of its space vehicle, SpaceShipTwo (SS2) in Mojave, Calif., Monday.
This marks entrance into the final phase of vehicle testing prior to commercial service from Spaceport America in New Mexico.

The tests were done by teams from Mojave-based Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic.

“The first powered flight of Virgin Spaceship Enterprise was without any doubt, our single most important flight test to date,” said Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson, who was in Mojave to watch the test.

In the coming months, Virgin Galactic and Scaled are working toward full space flight, which the companies anticipate will take place before the end of 2013.

Travel agency group Virtuoso has the exclusive rights to sell Virgin Galactic in the Americas. Several members who are Accredited Space Agents (ASAs).

Virgin Galactic spacecraft will carry six passengers on suborbital space flights. Passengers will have an out-of-the-seat, zero-gravity experience with views of Earth. 

Branson pins profit hopes on Dreamliner

By Robin Searle

Delivery of Boeing’s troubled 787 aircraft will be crucial to Virgin Atlantic’s aim of returning to profitability by 2015, according to the airline’s president Sir Richard Branson.

Speaking to Travel Weekly during the inaugural celebrations for Virgin’s domestic offshoot Little Red in Edinburgh, Branson said he felt the target was viable and dependent on the integration of more cost-effective aircraft.

“As long as the 787s don’t get delayed again, there is every chance that it can be possible,” he said.

Virgin is due to take delivery of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner in late summer 2014 as part of a wider fleet overhaul. It also hopes to boost revenue with the launch of Little Red services from Heathrow to Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Manchester and through an expected tie-up with Delta Air Lines in the US.

Virgin’s new chief executive Craig Kreeger believes the airline can transform a loss, expected to be about £130 million for the financial year to February 2013, into a profit within two years.

“(To return to profit) our strategy includes trying to find new sources of revenue, and that includes creating connectivity through Little Red and through the relationship with Delta,” said Kreeger.

“We have made some tough decisions, including a pay freeze for staff, but we have to ensure that no decisions are made at the expense of the customer or our people.”

The two airlines filed an application with the US Department of Transportation seeking antitrust immunity for their joint venture this week.

Speaking about the appointment of former American Airlines executive Kreeger, Branson said: “Craig has a lot of experience in the States, and through the Delta deal the States is going to play a bigger and bigger role in Virgin Atlantic’s future.”

Sixth Dreamliner problem forces grounding in Japan

Jan 16, 2013

Further question marks are being raised over the new generation Boeing 787 Dreamliner after Japan's two main airlines grounded the aircraft.

The decision was talen after one was forced to make an emergency landing over night because of battery problems.

All Nippon Airways grounded its fleet of 17 Dreamliners after a flight from Yamaguchi Ube in western Japan was forced to land shortly after takeoff.

The ANA flight landed at Takamatsu airport at 8:47am local time on Wednesday after the pilot saw an error message and smoke was seen in the cockpit.

Japan Airlines then followed suit, saying it would take its fleet of seven 787s out of service from today (January 16) until further notice.

Dreamliners have suffered a total of six issues, including fuel leaks, a cracked cockpit window, brake problems and an electrical fire, in recent weeks.

ANA said that the 129 passengers and 8 crew were evacuated, with a number of people sustaining minor injuries.

Five people were injured, according to Reuters, while Bloomberg said that one person was sent to hospital.

A Boeing spokesman told the BBC that the company was "aware of the diversion of a 787 operated by ANA to Takamatsu in western Japan".

He added that Boeing "will be working with our customer and the appropriate regulatory agencies".

Boeing was already facing a probe by Japanese and US authorities over its Dreamliner issues.

The US Federal Aviation Administration last week started a broad review of the design, manufacturing and assembly of the Dreamliner.

India's aviation regulator said it would review the Dreamliner's safety and talk to parts makers following the ANA incident.

United Airlines is the only US carrier currently flying Dreamliners, and the carrier said it was not taking any immediate action.

Thomson Airways is due to start flying the 787 this year followed by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Tui and Thomas Cook press ahead with £120m Nats sell-off

Jan 07, 2013 

Tui and Thomas Cook could share £120 million through the sale of their stakes in National Air Traffic Services (Nats).

The two travel groups are reported to have started the process of selling the 12% they own in the UK’s air traffic control service.

The travel companies are part of the seven-strong Airline Group consortium which includes British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet, owning 42% of Nats.

The government is the biggest shareholder with 49% while the 5,000 staff own 5% of the business.

Tui and Cook view their slice of the air traffic organisation as non-core and have instructed investment bank Rothschild, which advises the Airline Group, to find a buyer, the Sunday Timesreported.

BA parent agrees €355 million bid for BMI

Nov 04, 2011 08:30AM GMT

British Airways/Iberia parent company International Airlines Group has agreed to buy loss-making Heathrow rival BMI from Lufthansa.

The deal, which will be seen as a major coup for IAG chief executive Willie Walsh, is expected to be completed early next year. Today’s announcement will come as a major blow to Virgin Atlantic which faces being further marginalised at the London hub.

BMI controls 9% of valuable take-off and landing slots at Heathrow, which is now operating at full capacity after plans to build a third runway were scrapped.

But the deal with IAG is likely to attract a competition probe over potential dominance of slots at Heathrow. BMI has 300 flights a week operating from Heathrow and recently sold six sets of slots to BA.

“It gives BA the opportunity to grow in the UK,” said Walsh, who admitted that the deal, reported to be worth €355 million, had yet to be finalised.

Walsh said the deal will mean IAG will have around half of the slots at Heathrow but this is still less than Lufthansa at Frankfurt and Air France/KLM has at Paris. The takeover of BMI will enable BA to expand its long-haul network.

Virgin Atlantic said: "British Airways' hold over Heathrow is already too dominant and we are very concerned - as the competition authorities should also be - that BA's purchase of BMI would be disastrous for consumer choice and competition."

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning Walsh ruled out a bid for ailing Italian carrier Alitalia.

IAG said: “The sale and closing of the deal remain subject to conditions including a binding purchase agreement, further due diligence and regulatory clearances. It is envisaged that the purchase agreement will be signed in the coming weeks and the aim is for the transaction to be completed in the first quarter of 2012.”

BMI reported a loss of €154 million in the first nine months of 2011.