Branson prepares the shock tactics
31.08.2002
SYDNEY - He did it against British Airways. Now flamboyant British billionaire Richard Branson is bringing his shock
PR tactics to bear on an Australian bank he says wants too much money to let him use a Sydney airport terminal it owns.
In a campaign reminiscent of the "No Way BA-AA" that emblazoned the tailfins of Virgin Atlantic aircraft when the British giant and American Airlines were mulling a tie-up, Branson vowed to paint "Macquarie - what a bunch of bankers" on his local Virgin Blue fleet.
He accused Sydney Airport of backing away from a handshake agreement on access fees to the terminal of collapsed Ansett Australia before the airport was bought by a Macquarie Bank-led consortium for A$5.6 billion.
"If we give in to this sort of extortion, the costs of this airline will go up, and if the costs of the airline go up, air fares will go up and that's something we won't let happen," Branson, 52, said.
"Macquarie, stop the Sydney airport rort" will be another slogan carried in an aggressive campaign to embarrass Macquarie.
Sydney Airports Corp wants to run the second terminal as a common user facility, leaving space for any new entrants.
Qantas, which operates out of the other main terminal, has agreed to take six slots in the 18-gate terminal and SAC spokesman Peter Gibbs says talks are taking place with Singapore Airlines.
Virgin Blue is 50 per cent owned by Australian firm Patrick Corp.
- REUTERS
