Richard's Blog - March 2012

BA deal will cause irreversible damage to UK aviation

With the competition authority due to announce its decision on British Airways owner IAG’s proposed purchase of bmi deal tomorrow (Friday 30 March 2012), I have written a personal letter to the Commissioner of Competition, Joaquin Almunia, stating that BA’s proposed competition remedies are completely inadequate and would leave competition in UK aviation seriously distorted.The Commission is here to protect the competitiveness of industry and ultimately the consumer’s right to …

Go green for Ireland!

As this photo shows, it doesn’t have to be St. Patrick’s Day to go green for Ireland!

Conquering the 'unreachable' parts of our planet and beyond

This week has shown yet again what humankind can achieve with commitment, drive and the passion to explore. In my lifetime I have had the great honor of meeting men and women who refuse to accept the word 'impossible.' They are people who dream big and then throw everything thing they have - blood, sweat, tears (and for many their life savings!) to make those dreams a reality. But what drives them - is it simply the desire to be the first? The desire to beat their competitors? Sometimes perhaps…

The first global airline

Although Virgin airlines are much smaller than our big competitors, we have effectively created the first global airline. You can now travel around the world on a Virgin plane. If you are in the Far East, the UK, the US, Australia, you can fly anywhere in the world with Virgin. What has been lacking in the past is a frequent flyer program to unite all of our airlines under one banner. Sorry it has taken so long - but now we’ve got it!…

Poem for Virgin Galactic

Was delighted to receive this poem about Virgin Galactic, written by a 12-year-old girl named Chinny. Couldn’t have summed up the excitement of going to space better myself!Here’s Chinny’s poem:I believe I can fly, I know I can touch the skySoaring through space, floating around with graceVirgin Galactic is everything you could wish forJump in let's be sure to take a tourAcross the moon and the stars and back to your house doorWhat a beautiful fantasy, it doesn’t take a m…

Congratulations Jim!

Mankind’s desire to explore the world in which we live is something that will never fail to impress me, with James Cameron’s historic dive down to the ocean’s deepest point another fine example of the boundaries of human endeavour being pushed to their limits. Laying seven miles beneath the western Pacific Ocean, the Mariana Trench is one of the least accessible places on earth. Jim deserves all the hearty congratulations that come his way in the next few days. His solo trip o…

The search for meaning

Came across this video from the inspiring psychiatrist and Holocaust-survivor Viktor Frankl. Speaking 40 years ago, he shares thoughts on the human search for meaning still very much relevant today.If you’ve got time, it really is worth watching the video.This passage in particular is very moving, as he moves from a story about flying lessons to advice on how to help people achieve their potential:“If you don't recognise a young man’s search for meaning, you make him worse, y…

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