Virgin America Ready For Take-Off

After an 18 month saga, the US department of Transportation has given new airline Virgin America full domestic aviation rights and the green light to launch in the United States.

The rights were initially denied to the group founded by Sir Richard Branson as he is not a US citizen, however, a restructuring has meant Virgin can now meet foreign ownership restrictions. Major US airlines including American Airlines and Delta unsuccessfully sought to prevent Virgin America from flying.

Virgin America will use a fleet of new Airbus A320 and A319s operating from its base in San Francisco to New York JFK. Virgin America also plans to serve Washington Dulles, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas within the first nine months of service, before expanding across the US.

Virgin America is now awaiting safety clearance, but as soon as this is granted, tickets can start to be sold, with a July or August launch expected.