Branson considers second airline
"Weekend Australian". .. .Branson considers second airline. .. .March 03, 2002. .VIRGIN founder Sir Richard Branson is considering setting up a second discount airlines in Australia, it was reported today.. .. .The British tycoon said he hoped his original Australian airline, Virgin Blue, would eventually become a true rival to Qantas, which becomes Australia's sole full-service airline at midnight tomorrow night.. .. .Virgin Blue has previously indicated its rapid expansion meant it would be hiring 1000 extra staff by the end of this year, with preference given to former Ansett employees.. .. ."In time we want to be a true alternative to Qantas on as many domestic routes as possible," Sir Richard reportedly told The Age from his retreat in the Virgin Islands.. .. ."We could at some stage set up another airline with smaller planes to fill in the gaps.". .. .Sir Richard also said Virgin Blue executives were debating whether or not to purchase Ansett's old terminals.. .. .He said the fledgling airline needed to keep its costs down in order to continue delivering cheap flights.. .. ."The kind of offers we have had over the last two years you will certainly continue to get over, hopefully, the next 10 years," he told the newspaper.. .. .Sir Richard also revealed Virgin's airline analysts found a $100 million blowout in the Ansett rescue bid put forward by Lindsay Fox and Solomon Lew.. .. ."At least they tried," he said of the businessmen who backed out of the deal to buy Ansett last Tuesday.. .. ."It's easy to criticise people who try things and fail."