Virgin involvement as a major partner in new Nigerian international carrier designed to be the national " flag carrier" looks correct. Bets on success welcome. Many have been there before including BOAC, BA, Swissair, SAA and none have yet come away without shaking their heads in disbelief and wondering what happened to visions of wealth. Ghana appears to have new US backer with wealthy religious connections, but similarly they will be another in a long line of optimists. For both to succeed they will need 100% unequivocal political support with no feet extended to trip them up,- or people asking for inducements not to trip them up. In neither case will this be easy and in Nigeria there is also the small problem of the thousands of former Nogeria Airways staff who see themselves as entitled to a job with any successor to their former employer.