Deals
Branson Weighs Bigger Infusion to Save Wobbling Virgin Atlantic
- Funding aimed at attracting outside investors, appeasing U.K.
- Billionaire’s tax status raises backlash against state rescue
Richard Branson stands inside an Airbus A320 Virgin America airplane.
Photographer: Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images
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Richard Branson is considering pouring more money into teetering Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. than he originally pledged in a bid to attract outside investors and gain access to hundreds of millions of pounds of state-backed loans, according to people familiar with the matter.
Branson had earlier said he’d channel the bulk of a $250 million infusion into his Virgin-branded companies toward the U.K. airline. The pledge, linked to a request for some 500 million pounds ($618 million) in U.K. funding guarantees, has met with resistance from the government.