National flag carriers get bailed out, generally, private companies don’t.
That may not be perceived as being very fair but that’s the way it is.
One of the best flights I ever had was with Virgin, but also so was the worst.
I don’t understand all the bashing of Virgin that goes on here from some members, but conversely I also don’t understand why Virgin feel they are a special case that are deserving of a taxpayer bailout? Just like the many UK airlines that have come and gone before them, no one is immune or special enough to warrant exclusion from going into administration if the business case isn’t there. Even more so in Virgins case where they’re profit relative to turnover is horrendously poor.
Great advertising and a Hollywood Playboy style image isn’t enough not to be expendable. It’s just business, it’s not personal. Thats probably hard to imagine when you’re sat at 30°W and the realisation sets in that soon it could all be over, but it’s not the first time many a career pilot has been in that exact same situation pondering the exact same reality. The waste of it is tragic but it’s a very real possibility now.
Delta might only own 49% of Virgin but they’ve been calling the shots and essentially steering the ship to a great extent over the last few years. Until now they’ve had a bottomless pit of money which has proved very lucrative and successful for Virgin Atlantic, but now the party is over.
Richard Bransons handling of the plight of Virgin under the current circumstances couldn’t of been handled any worse it would seem, if anything he’s just whipping up a sentiment of hostility in the tax payers mind towards his cause. I personally don’t think he will stomp up the cash himself? Who would? Running an airline and making money out of it successfully is very difficult to achieve and the Virgin model isn't the best In the business by far. Although the company is the flagship of his brand, this is going to really test his metal. It has survived this long only through clever marketing, smoke and mirrors and a succession of differing shareholder stakes over the years who have had money to burn.
I sincerely hope for all who work there that something gets pulled out the bag and a rescue package or business deal of some kind can be hammered out, but one thing is for dead certain, Virgin at the very best, will be a shadow of its former self once this current crisis passes, if it survives at all.
Last edited by Go4PoweredDecent; 25th Apr 2020 at 01:34.