The Chief Executive of Manchester Airports Group (MAG) Charlie Cornish has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to lobby in support of a government deal to bail out Virgin Atlantic (VS/VIR).
MAG joins Airbus and Rolls-Royce in supporting the airline which is owned by Richard Bransons’ Virgin Atlantic Limited (51%) and America’s Delta Airlines (49%).
Virgin carries almost 1 million people every year from Manchester Airport (MAN/EGCC) to destinations in the US including New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles.
In the letter Mr Cornish says that Virgin “directly benefits” Manchester and the surrounding region.
The UK Government has already agreed a deal to support low-cost carrier Easyjet (U2/EZY) but has warned airlines that they must seek commercial help first.
Any request for government support will be looked at on a case by case basis.
Like most airlines Virgin Atlantic have all but stopped operations during the coronavirus pandemic but public support for a bail out seems low fro Virgin with many calling for Richard Branson to step in and give the airline he started a lifeline instead of the UK Government.
Virgin Atlantic was also part of a consortium with Stobart Group that took and struggling regional airline Flybe which it allowed to finally collapse earlier this year.
