Entrepreneur and founder of Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson is to launch a business class-only flights service within the next 12 to 18 months.
The news follows the launch of a number of business-only airlines including the UK's Silverjet PLC and EOS Airlines, which flies to New York from London Stansted, and is in response to an open skies agreement between Europe and the United States effective, March 30, next year.
Virgin aims to operate a fleet of 15 aircraft worth $700 million (352 million pounds) at list prices, says a spokesman.
"We may use some of the Boeing 787s we ordered recently," he says, but added the airline was speaking to all four airliner makers, Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier.
"The airline will fly initially from cities including Paris, Frankfurt, Milan and Zurich non-stop to New York and other major destinations, as well as between London and the US," he says.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
