Branson and major stakeholder to meet in secrecy
Virgin Group chief Richard Branson will meet Singapore Airlines leader Cheong Choong Kong in Singapore later this week.
Singapore Airlines denied media reports that Branson's Australian arm, Virgin Blue, and the collapsed airline, Ansett Australia, will be on the agenda of the talks.
The meeting is being held under a shroud of secrecy. Singapore Airlines refused to reveal when it would take place, saying only that it would happen "later this week".
Singapore Airlines, the country’s national carrier, owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic, an airline unit of Virgin Group operating transatlantic routes.
Virgin Blue, a domestic carrier in Australia, is another unit of Virgin Group.
Singapore Airlines currently owns 25% of Air New Zealand, which owns Ansett.
Analysts believe Branson will likely ask for a fund injection from Singapore Airlines into Virgin Atlantic, which has suffered after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
However, Singapore Airlines is trying to cut costs and may not welcome such a proposition.
