How is the joint venture between Virgin and Delta shaping up?
E. G. : Delta has bought out Singapore Airlines' 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic. All that remains now is to finalise the purchase and wait for antitrust immunity from the US authorities. We hope to obtain this by the end of 2013. This agreement would then lead to a joint venture, covering only transatlantic routes between the UK and the US.
This project with Delta raises the question of a rapprochement with Air France, or even integration into SkyTeam...
E. G. : Discussions could take place with Air France... Delta bought these Virgin shares with the ambition of doing something with them, of being proactive. But Virgin Atlantic's managers will only join an alliance if they can derive concrete benefits from it. Delta's joint venture in no way guarantees such a development, even if it is a possibility.
What role does the French market currently play in Virgin's strategy?
E. G. : It's an offline market. There is some speculation, particularly in the media. The French market could become even more interesting for Virgin depending on how our partnerships develop. For the moment, we are very dependent on our agreements with other airlines.
What are your objectives in France for 2013?
E. G. : We are currently in a consolidation phase with regard to the work carried out over the last 18 months. But above all, we remain an alternative. We recorded strong growth in 2012 - but we still had plenty of room for improvement - and we're aiming for an increase of 10% in 2013.
What are your arguments in this context?
E. G. : Mainly the added value of Virgin Atlantic's product, which offers an innovative, high-quality service just like our Premium class. Our product offers comfort worthy of the Business Class of many other airlines, with the widest seat on the market (54 cm). We have launched a number of innovative initiatives, particularly in terms of check-in facilities on certain destinations with the 'Twilight' and 'Chill out' services. Although we don't have a direct presence in Paris, we do offer a chauffeur service there, picking passengers up from and to the airport, on both the outward and return journeys. In London, the service goes even further with the Upper Class Wing in Heathrow Terminal 3. The boarding procedure is carried out beforehand by the driver. The passenger is greeted by a hostess, before taking a corridor leading directly to a security airlock reserved exclusively for these passengers. We guarantee a maximum journey time of ten minutes between exiting the vehicle and entering the Club House. We have also renovated the business lounges at JFK and Newark. In total, we invested around £100 million in 2012 in the new Upper Class, which is fitted on all our new A330 aircraft. This makes us one of the only airlines to offer a real bed, rather than a 180-degree reclining seat. We have also launched new routes to Mumbai and Vancouver, in addition to our first domestic flights: Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Manchester.
Are you thinking about new markets?
E. G. : We're looking at South America, like everyone else, and Brazil in particular. We have ordered 15 Dreamliners for summer 2014: aircraft whose lower fuel consumption will certainly enable us to look at South America in a different light.
