AVIATION/ BRANSON UNVEILS VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

Sir Richard Branson has finally unveiled one of the worst-kept secrets in Australian aviation. The English entrepreneur and publicity seeker jetted into Sydney this morning onboard an aircraft emblazoned with the new name of Australia’s 2nd largest Airline. The renaming of VIRGIN BLUE as VIRGIN AUSTRALIA is reportedly a slightly more conservative approach to the airline’s branding as it attempts to snare a bigger share of the lucrative corporate travel market from QANTAS.  Apart from ditching the "Blue," the Airline has also decided to drop the bright red body paint from its aircraft in favor of white. The Airline has also successfully negotiated the renaming of its longhaul off-shoots V AUSTRALIA and PACIFIC BLUE, with both to be rebranded Virgin Australia. A licensing agreement between SINGAPORE AIRLINES and Branson, the 2 shareholders of British long-haul Airline VIRGIN ATLANTIC, had given them the right of veto over the use of the moniker on Airlines which fly internationally. Branson has previously said it would be ‘‘nice to have a unified brand’’ for the various Airlines associated with his aviation interests. But despite today's renaming of the domestic business, the Airline may have to wait some time before it can use the Virgin moniker on its aircraft which fly overseas routes. The Airline also still needs to enter negotiations with joint venture partner, the Samoan government, to rename its offshoot POLYNESIA BLUE.