Richard Branson News

Virgin Atlantic Brings London to NYC with “Taxi For Takeoff”
Founder Sir Richard Branson lands in The Big Apple to celebrate Virgin Atlantic’s premium service as the airline begins flying its state-of-the-art aircraft to NYC

Sir Richared Branson to be among first Virgin Galactic passengers
Sir Richard Branson and his two children will be among the first passengers to travel to space on Virgin Galactic next year. The Virgin boss revealed that his son Sam and daughter Holly would accompany him on a 60 mile journey into space on the SpaceShipTwo (SS2) aircraft.

Virgin boss urges Government to support business start-ups
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson has urged the government to support new small and medium business start ups to assist economic growth, according to reports.

Virgin Atlantic rallies against IAG’s BMI takeover
Virgin Atlantic is set to appeal against the European Commission’s decision to allow IAG, BA’s parent company, to acquire BMI for £172.5m. Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson claims that the deal, which gained regulatory approval on 30 March, could damage the aviation industry for years to come.
Branson calls for greater focus on green energy
Sir Richard Branson has said the world faces “the mother of all recessions” unless much more is done to encourage the development of renewable energy. Addressing delegates at the third annual Six Senses Slow Life Symposium at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives, the founder and chairman of the Virgin Group said governments had to provide additional incentives to support the adoption of alternative fuel sources.

Branson private island reopens following fire
Necker Island has reopened following a fire on August 22nd which destroyed the eight-bedroom Great House. The private island, owned by Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson, is part of the British Virgin Islands.
Branson’s Entrepreneurship Centre opens on schedule in Jamaica
The multi-million dollar Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Caribbean has opened on schedule in Jamaica’s Montego Bay.

Kate Winslet escapes fire on Branson’s Necker Island
Kate Winslet was among guests staying on Sir Richard Branson’s luxury home in the Caribbean when it caught fire after being struck by lightning during a tropical storm. As many as 20 guests were evacuated following the incident.

Branson makes final plea to Virgin pilots ahead of strike
Sir Richard Branson has warned that striking Virgin Atlantic pilots would leave “an indelible scar on the company”. Balpa, the pilots’ union, is set to announce strike dates from Tuesday unless a dispute over pay is resolved.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic urges APD rethink
Passengers could be paying an extra £1 billion a year in increased Air Passenger Duty, Sir Richard Branson’s airline Virgin Atlantic has warned. The carrier said APD raised £2 billion in 2010 but that this figure could rise to £3 billion a year under new government proposals.

Virgin Galactic takes one step closer to reality
Richard Branson’s commercial space venture Virgin Galactic has taken a key step closer to taking tourists into space. Test pilots have flown the spacecraft softly back the Earth’s atmosphere from space. The achievement is fundamental to reducing wear and tear on the rocket, so it can reach achieve the goal of making several flights per day.

Richard Branson wins 10-year battle to change Virgin Blue name to Virgin Australia
Sir Richard Branson has won a ten-year battle to combine his three Australian carriers – Virgin Blue, V Australia and Pacific Blue – under one moniker, Virgin Australia. A previous ruling prevented him from using the “Virgin” name on aircraft that flew international routes.