Air Asia due to make "huge announcement"
Virgin has refused to comment on reports that it is looking to form an alliance with Malaysian low-cost airline, Air Asia, and Easyjet.
According to the reports, the three are planning to launch low-cost flights between the UK and Asia.
A spokeswoman for Air Asia said it would be making a “huge announcement” this Friday.
A Virgin spokeswoman said it regularly talks to third parties to explore opportunities to expand its network, but would not comment further.
Easyjet denied the reports, saying they were ‘unsubtantiated gossip”.
Meanwhile, the US government has refused to give Virgin permission to launch a budget airline in the US.
Officials refused to grant Virgin an operating licence because it does not meet requirements under US law, which says airlines must be 75% owned and controlled by US citizens.
Virgin America said it would respond to the US Department of Transportation’s ruling by 10 January
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025