Chief executive of Virgin Atlantic: Trans-Atlantic travel restart means the world to the company
November 8, 2021, 7:25 am

Chief executive of Virgin Atlantic: Trans-Atlantic travel restart means the world to the company

Virgin airlines/Pixabay

The US News reported according to Reuters, the reopening of the United States to British travellers will help all airlines operating between the two countries, but for UK-based trans-Atlantic-focused Virgin Atlantic, it means "the world", its chief executive said.

CEO Shai Weiss said in an interview: "Virgin would not be Virgin without the Atlantic, adding, "This is the market that is at the heart of everything that we do."

Virgin Atlantic, founded by billionaire Richard Branson, is 51% owned by Branson's Virgin Group with the balance held by Delta Air Lines.

In 2020, it came close to collapse as COVID-19 travel bans hammered business. Pre-pandemic it had depended on trans-Atlantic travel for as much as 70% of its revenues.

The last of those bans ends on Monday when the United States reopens for fully vaccinated UK travellers. Since August, Virgin has also benefited from the UK opening to vaccinated U.S. citizens.

Weiss said that he was very pleased with ticket sales to the United States, adding that there was strong demand for the Thanksgiving holidays and the lead-up to Christmas.

Asked about the next three to six months, he said there was "positive momentum".

British Airways owner IAG said on Friday it was "very optimistic" about the reopening of trans-Atlantic travel.

Virgin survived the pandemic thanks to a 1.5 billion pound rescue deal between Sept. 2020 and March 2021 and axing around half its staff to cut costs.

Asked if there were any current funding worries for Virgin, Weiss said: "No."

"Now that things are opening up we're in a better position. I think we're going to further strengthen our balance sheet," he said, without giving details of what Virgin was planning.

Reports have said the airline is considering floating next year, but Weiss declined to comment on "market speculation".

Source: usnews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”