Sir Richard Branson has defended Virgin Atlantic’s decision to wind up short-haul brand Little Red.
The Virgin Group chairman also dismissed remarks by Willie Walsh, head of British Airways parent IAG, suggesting Virgin Atlantic is now run by US partner Delta Air Lines which took a 49% stake in the airline last year.
Little Red, set up by Virgin Atlantic to operate from Manchester, Glasgow and Aberdeen to Heathrow, will cease flying next year. The short-haul operation was launched in March last year.
Branson told Travel Weekly: “My attitude [to the decision to close Little Red] is that we try a lot of things.
“We were given a few slots to give Little Red a go and decided to do it. We were always nervous about it, so we leased the planes.
“It is a great service but we just didn’t have a network to make a go of it. So we sensibly knocked it on the head.”
Asked about Walsh’s recent claim that Virgin Atlantic is run now by Delta Air Lines chief executive Richard Anderson, Branson said: “We are obviously still niggling him [Walsh], which is great.
“To have British Airways go on about Virgin Atlantic is flattery at its best. May Willie Walsh continue to go on about Virgin Atlantic.”
He added: “People need to recognise Willie Walsh is a competitor.”
Branson responded to Walsh’s challenge of “a kick in the groin” should the Virgin Atlantic brand no longer be on the airline in two years, saying: “I’d advise him to get the thickest pair of trousers.”
The Virgin Group chairman and founder of Virgin Atlantic insisted he has no intention of quitting the airline industry.
He vowed: “I’ll stay in this industry till I drop, and I hope my children do the same.”