Virgin Atlantic goes ballistic with possible 1500 new jobs

While most airline companies like Air Canada are feeling the heat of struggling economy and dwindling profits, Virgin is going ballistic. The latest news in says that the Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. controlled by the flamboyant U.K. billionaire Richard Branson plans to hire around 1,500 employees over the next 18 months as they expand their fleet with new aircrafts.

These hiring are expected to include cabin crewmembers, flight-deck personnel and people to be stationed at the London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The company currently employees around 8500 people and some of these new jobs would be to replace workers who have left for other opportunities.

Virgin is due to receive seven A340-600 aircraft from Airbus SAS by the end of 2006. This would increase their fleet to 39 aircrafts. Some of the planned new flights are to newer destinations in North America, Australia, and Asia. Sir Richard is targeting the markets dominated by British Airways Plc. He further aims to expand the services of his airlines to destinations like Dubai and Jamaica next year.

The company expects to grow at an impressive 10% rate over the next couple of months and would be increasing the frequencies of existing planes. They are also due to retire some of their old planes which would call for the new deliveries from the Airbus.