Virgin Blue to go after Ansett Int'l ops?
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: London, England
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Virgin Blue to go after Ansett Int'l ops?
Just a wild guess but we know Branson is desperate to serve Aus, and Ansett Int'l couldn't be a better match - Virgin Atlantic fly from Heathrow to LA, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpar (Malaysia codeshare) and Japan (OK it's Narita but anyway). Ansett Int'l fly from Sydney to LA, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpar and Japan (OK it's Kansai but anyway).
So he'll fly direct to Sydney (and Brisbane) via the #1 stopover choices on the Kangaroo Route to link up with a wide range of Virgin Blue domestic destinations in Aus. The two fleets even match (747-400s). And wait for it, there's Singapore Airlines (49% owner of Virgin Atlantic and owner of Ansett's 747-400s) in the background easing things along. My god, a round the world airline flying to Aus in both directions via (take your pick) Hong Kong, LA (with the option of SFO too, VS already fly there and the SYD-SFO rights haven't been taken up by any Oz airline), KL, Japan...with regional feed at both ends (Athens, Nice, Brussels into Heathrow)(god knows where in Aus into Sydney and Brisbane).
All for the price of four or so international licenses from a bankrupt Aussie domestic airline that no-one outside the business and Oz itself has ever heard of.
British Airways are going to go bananas if this happens - Virgin round the world, across the Pacific, onward rights from HK, LA and Japan to Aus? Poor Rod Eddington. This is going to be WILD.
So he'll fly direct to Sydney (and Brisbane) via the #1 stopover choices on the Kangaroo Route to link up with a wide range of Virgin Blue domestic destinations in Aus. The two fleets even match (747-400s). And wait for it, there's Singapore Airlines (49% owner of Virgin Atlantic and owner of Ansett's 747-400s) in the background easing things along. My god, a round the world airline flying to Aus in both directions via (take your pick) Hong Kong, LA (with the option of SFO too, VS already fly there and the SYD-SFO rights haven't been taken up by any Oz airline), KL, Japan...with regional feed at both ends (Athens, Nice, Brussels into Heathrow)(god knows where in Aus into Sydney and Brisbane).
All for the price of four or so international licenses from a bankrupt Aussie domestic airline that no-one outside the business and Oz itself has ever heard of.
British Airways are going to go bananas if this happens - Virgin round the world, across the Pacific, onward rights from HK, LA and Japan to Aus? Poor Rod Eddington. This is going to be WILD.
Join Date: Dec 2000
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Oh get real. If you knew Branson's MO you'd know that he will not buy 'secondhand' airlines. He is very public about how much he regrets buying Virgin Express and said he'd never do it again. But then again he is also so indecisive that he probably change his mind there too. Where will all the money come from? I din't think so. dream on. :o
Join Date: Jan 2000
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Could make sense, let's face it AN not worth bu**er all , the DR at SQ through RB could get AN for a song. The next few day's will be very interesting ones in the history of Ansett. 
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Virgin can't buy Ansett International - for a very good reason. It's not Australian owned and controlled.
International operations - because of bilaterals - are very strict about the ownership and control of airlines - in Australia, I believe that the maximum foreign ownership permitted is 25% (which is what ANZ holds); here in the UK it's 49%.
International operations - because of bilaterals - are very strict about the ownership and control of airlines - in Australia, I believe that the maximum foreign ownership permitted is 25% (which is what ANZ holds); here in the UK it's 49%.
Join Date: May 2001
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Its actually 49% which ANZ does own, News Ltd (the Aust arm of news corp) still owns the other 51% of Ansett International, hence the distinction between the two companies being:
Ansett: 100% owned by the Kiwis
Ansett International: 49% Kiwi & 51% Aust
Ansett: 100% owned by the Kiwis
Ansett International: 49% Kiwi & 51% Aust
