They have fought toe-totoe over routes, ticket prices and a piece of the sky for over two decades. Now British Airways (BA) and Virgin Atlantic Airways are ready to slug it out in a new ring - India - with the two long-haul airlines looking to expand their offerings and increase their share of Indian travellers flying to Europe and North America.
"India is a strong focus for us and a big part of our strategy," says Virgin Atlantic CEO Craig Kreeger, who visited the country in late August. Close on the heels of his visit, Kate Thornton, Head of Product and Service at BA, came calling to reinforce the airline's position as the largest British carrier operating from India and to launch its 'To Fly. To Serve' global marketing campaign. "India is a competitive market and there is new competition coming in," she says. "As a brand we need to respond to the competition and this keeps us on our toes."
The visits followed shortly after Virgin, founded by billionaire Sir Richard Branson, entered into a tie-up with Delta Air Lines that entailed the US carrier buying a 49 per cent stake in the UK airline. The tie-up also involves the two carriers coordinating on transatlantic flights between the US and the UK, in a clear challenge to BA's market dominating joint venture with American Airlines that has been in operation since 2011.
10/10/13 Manisha Singhal/Business Today
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"India is a strong focus for us and a big part of our strategy," says Virgin Atlantic CEO Craig Kreeger, who visited the country in late August. Close on the heels of his visit, Kate Thornton, Head of Product and Service at BA, came calling to reinforce the airline's position as the largest British carrier operating from India and to launch its 'To Fly. To Serve' global marketing campaign. "India is a competitive market and there is new competition coming in," she says. "As a brand we need to respond to the competition and this keeps us on our toes."
The visits followed shortly after Virgin, founded by billionaire Sir Richard Branson, entered into a tie-up with Delta Air Lines that entailed the US carrier buying a 49 per cent stake in the UK airline. The tie-up also involves the two carriers coordinating on transatlantic flights between the US and the UK, in a clear challenge to BA's market dominating joint venture with American Airlines that has been in operation since 2011.
10/10/13 Manisha Singhal/Business Today
