IVirgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., inkampani ethwala amahula amade elawulwa ngusozigidi uRichard Branson, inonyaka “oyinselelo enkulu” njengesidingo sokwehla kwezinga lokuhamba ngendiza, ngokusho kwesikhulu esiphezulu sayo.
“Akukona ukwenza inzuzo kulo nyaka, kumayelana nokwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi siyayivikela imali yethu,” kusho isikhulu esiphezulu uSteve Ridgway namuhla engxoxweni. “Imali yokugibela kanye nenzuzo iphansi ngaso sonke isikhathi futhi imakethe ye-premium yehle kakhulu.”
I-Virgin Atlantic isinciphise umthamo ngamaphesenti angaba ngu-7 ngokususa ezinye izindiza eziya ezindaweni okuhlanganisa ne-New York, futhi mhlawumbe izonciphisa izihlalo kulo nyaka, kusho u-Ridgway. Umthwali ungamaphesenti angama-49 umnikazi we-Singapore Airlines Ltd.
Inkampani yenethiwekhi ezinze e-Crawley, e-England iphinde yaphinda kabili inzuzo yentela ngonyaka odlule njengoba yayithwala abagibeli abaningi abaphambili, yazuza inkambiso yokulahlekelwa izimbangi ezihlanganisa iBritish Airways Plc kanye ne-Air France-KLM Group. Mancane amathuba okuthi Virgin iphinde leyo feat.
U-Ridgway ucele i-European Union ukuthi yelule ukumiswa komthetho odinga ukuthi izinkampani zezindiza zisebenzise izindawo zokusuka kanye nokuhlalisa okungenani amaphesenti angama-80 esikhathi, noma zibhekane nokulahlekelwa ngonyaka olandelayo. IPhalamende LaseYurophu limise imfuneko kuze kube u-Oct. 24.
“Okubalulekile ukuthi lokhu kwenzeka ngesikhathi sasebusika,” kusho uRidgway. "Imboni idinga ukulinganisa amandla nesidingo esikhona."
Ukubambisana Kwezindiza
I-Virgin ifuna futhi i-US ukuthi yenqabe ukungathembeki kweBritish Airways ngomfelandawonye ohlongozwayo ne-AMR Corp.'s American Airlines. U-Branson uphikise iminyaka ukuthi ukwanda kobudlelwano phakathi kwalaba bathwali ababili kuzophazamisa ukuncintisana, ikakhulukazi emizileni ewela i-Atlantic.
Inzuzo ye-Pretax ye-Virgin ikhuphuke yafinyelela ku-68.4 million wamaphawundi ($ 108 million) ngonyaka ophele ngo-Feb. 28 isuka kumaphawundi ayizigidi ezingu-34.8 ngonyaka odlule, kusho u-Virgin namuhla esitatimendeni. Izinombolo zabagibeli zikhuphuke ngamaphesenti angu-1.2 zafinyelela ezigidini ezingu-5.77 ngonyaka wekhalenda.
Izinzuzo zenkampani yenethiwekhi kungenzeka ukuthi sezivele zihamba kancane. Isikhulu Esiphezulu Sezindiza ZaseSingapore uChew Choon Seng uthe ngoMeyi 14 ukuthi uVirgin "awusebenzi kahle." Iphini likamongameli omkhulu wezezimali eSingapore, u-Chan Hon Chew, uthe ngakusasa ukuthi ama-dollar ayizigidi eziyi-106 "wokulahlekelwa okuhlobene" yinkampani yezindiza ebikwe ngekota ephele ngoMashi 31 "iza kakhulu" ekutshalweni kwayo kwenkampani yase-UK. I-Virgin ayibiki inani lemali engenayo.
IBritish Airways ibike ukulahlekelwa kwayo kokuqala unyaka wonke kusukela ngo-2002 ngoMeyi 22, njengoba isidingo sikhuphuka nezindleko zikaphethiloli zikhuphuka. Ukushoda kwentela esikhathini esiphele ngoMashi 31 bekungamaphawundi ayizigidi ezingama-401. I-Air France ithe ngoMeyi 19 izojulisa ukuncishiswa kwemisebenzi ngemuva kokulahlekelwa kwayo okokuqala kusukela ngo-1996.
Izindiza emhlabeni wonke kungenzeka zilahlekelwe yi- $ 4.7 billion ehlanganisiwe kulo nyaka, kusho i-International Air Transport Association ngoMashi 24.
