The silver lining
There has been a lot of comparison to Ansett in these threads, however there is one big difference; 9/11 had a temporary effect on domestic travel in Australia and there was a gap that could be filled as a result of Ansett going tits up. This time there is no gap plus you have QF and JQ dominating a decimated market. However Virgin Australia has one advantage in its favour over any potential startup airline; a foundation platform - systems, processes, training, certification, AOC, COA, an established ‘fan’ base of diehard customers and other tools that enable it to keep flying. These things take money and time to implement. Virgin already/still has this.
It is going to have to go back to grass roots, and it will be smaller, but it’s a start. Importantly it needs to ditch anything related to Branson. Why pay for that fools logo/brand/name any longer? Plus Branson has also become tainted goods. A billionaire not helping out his loyal VA staff out. His name is now ****e worldwide so why rename connected to it? If you have to start with a clean page, ditch the Necker Island muppet once and for all. Make the airline Australian, not foreign. Aussies love their own brand. That’s an advantage the Rat has. Give the rebirthed airline a name and logo Aussies will flock too. And the new VA needs an identity. Full service carrier or low cost carrier? There is no ‘in between’, which is really what got them sliding down the slippery slope of Administration. It just took awhile to get there.