Speaking at the launch of Virgin Atlantic”s new daily service from Heathrow to Chicago, the airline”s chief executive, Steve Ridgeway, called on EU and US negotiators to start talks urgently on completing the Open Skies Agreement recently reached between the two continents. He said that the UK government needs to apply pressure on both sides to agree the second stage of the accord.
”The negotiators have bravely reached a first round of the Open Skies agreement ” they now need to finish their work by 2010 or risk the agreement lapsing, as European Transport Ministers agreed,” he said.
”If Open Skies is to bring real benefits to consumers, then we need to see a complete package of measures, which would not just allow US airlines to fly anywhere in Europe but would also enable European carriers to fly within the US and invest in US carriers. The shackles of regulation continue to tie up the aviation industry worldwide and the US and EU now have a real opportunity to lay down a template for how competition can work effectively in our industry.”
”For the moment there are too many airlines in the world, many of them rather weak, and the game is going to change. Full open skies would sort out the weak from the chaff. Virgin Atlantic intends to be at the forefront of the changes, continuing to expand at London Heathrow to aid our growth.” He noted Chicago was Virgin”s 27th destination and the airline”s tenth US gateway.
It is in fact the first time that Virgin has resurrected a route, the service pulled after 9/11. SBS Worldwide Ltd general manager airfreight, Jonathon Blackney, probably summed it up for everyone. ”The more carriers on a route the better. Everyone benefits including the airline, that produces a better service.”
Virgin chairman Sir Richard Branson, was asked to update matters regarding Virgin America. Wary of charges that effective control was not in the hands of US citizens, Sir Richard emphasised that he was a minority shareholder and had little say in its affairs. He did not expand on his short answer. ”Virgin America is being run by its management. It hopes to take off shortly.”