The battle of the North Atlantic.(The battle of the North Atlantic)(Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.)

Economist (US), The, June, 2007

Branson class

Europe is allowing more competition, but dogfights continue

DRESSED in a pilot's uniform, Richard Branson waves from the steps of the leased Boeing 747 he has named "Maiden Voyager". The date is June 22nd 1984 and celebrities, journalists and a handful of bemused fare-paying passengers pile on board for the inaugural flight from Gatwick airport, south of London, to Newark, which most knew was somewhere near New York City. But how to get from Newark to Manhattan? Some 1,000 bottles of champagne later, no one cared.

At the time, the launch of Virgin Atlantic was widely seen as a foolhardy venture by the young owner of a record label. The North Atlantic, although the busiest air route in the world, was guarded by pterodactyls:...

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