Branson is a serial bull****ter and anti-competitive as anyone when it suits.
Virgin is already in a similar competitive alliance so he is, also, hypocritical.
The existing alliances have a much bigger share of slots at Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris than AA/BA/IA etc would have at Heathrow so seems like a no-brainer, except in Bransonbull****.
Not supporting alliances, which are inherently anti-competitive, but cannot see how regulators could deny to some what they have allowed for others.
BTW looking forward to Ryanair's Stansted to 'New York'- Godknowswhere- only 97 miles to Manhattan but it will be competition !