Sir Richard Branson hints at possible interest in a Virgin Concorde

The same day that Air France and British Airways announced that they would stop flying Concorde later this year, Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic, made the following comments:

"Since the British Airways' announcement this morning we have been flooded with calls from the public, including BA staff, asking us to see if we can keep Concorde flying.

"When the Conservative government gave British Airways Concorde for £1 they said that if another British company ever wanted to operate it they could. As a result of the public's response today I will be asking British Airways to provide me with the full operating figures."

"If having examined the figures Virgin Atlantic, with its lower cost base, believes it can make a success of it we will be asking British Airways to  give us the planes for the same price that they were given them for (£1) together with the slots and other facilities that they use.

"This might come to nothing but I believe that every effort should be made to keep Concorde flying as it is such an important symbol of British innovation." Sir Branson concluded.