He's
lobbied to potential U.S. presidents, and now Richard Branson says he'll put his money where his mouth is. Referring to a deal between British Airways plc and American Airlines seeking antitrust immunity to coordinate flights and schedules across the Atlantic, Branson says he will spend millions of dollars to block the alliance.
In our previous post on Branson shenanigans, The Deal's Lou Whiteman said the transaction really has little to do with the economic cycle; it has everything to do with creating a seamless international network -- Branson cares more about this one because his airline is based out of London-Heathrow, and not in Paris or Atlanta or Amsterdam or Frankfurt, so Virgin Atlantic stands to be a big loser if this wins out.
So, Branson has begun a publicity blitz, the AP reports. At Virgin's hangar at Heathrow Airport, Branson unveiled the slogan "No Way BA/AA," which will be plastered on the side of the carrier's planes. He also says the alliance would be like an unthinkable merger of PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Co.
Hey, it
is Friday. -
Baz HiralalGo to the story on Bloomberg.com
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