Virgin chief says recovery is on track
Virgin Atlantic chief executive Craig Kreeger has pledged to return the airline to profit by the end of 2014.
He made the statement as the airline reported a pre-tax loss of £51 million for the calendar year ending December 31, compared to the £102 million pre-tax loss the year before.
"The Group has made good progress in 2013 towards our target of a return to profitability by the end of this year," he said.
"We have implemented a programme of measures which put in place firm foundations for future success and our results to this point show that we are delivering against our plan."
He promised passengers noticeable improvements, with new service training programme for staff, and technological improvements such as a wifi roll-out and expanded use of personal electronic devices throughout each flight.
"Going forward, the impact from our Delta relationship which greatly enhances our revenue opportunities in the US, improving result from Little Red services and improvements in selling activity, supported by a strong focus on managing the cost base and on fuel efficiency gains, mean we are confident that we will deliver on our target and return to profitability,” he said.
"We are building a sustainable and profitable airline for the future and it is an exciting time for our company."
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.
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