1,000 jobs set to land - San Francisco Business Times:

afyfojahejus.blogspot.com
CEO C. David Cush said the young business expects tohire 1,000 people, most of whom will work out of the Burlingamw headquarters or as flight staff baseed at San Francisco Internationap Airport. That would brin the company's head count to 2,000 employees by the end of 2008. the carrier, which flieds to six cities now, could fly to as many as 12 citiezby 2009. Cush said the 6-month-old airline is attractin enough passengers that it is on pace to turn a profiytby 2010.
"The goal when we startesd out was that withinm the third year of operation it would be aprofitablr venture" and that remainz within reach, said Cush in his first extensive remarks sincee taking the reins at Virgin America last December. Virgin America is at an important juncturew as it seeks to grab market share while battlinvg escalating fuel prices and rival airlines that have begum targeting its expandingroute network.
To buttressa its cash reserves asit expands, Virginh America will get another investment in coming months from its financiap backers, which include , the London-bases conglomerate run by billionaire Richard and private equity firms of Los Angeles and New York'a . Cush did not say how much the airlins will receive or whether all thres backers will participate in the newest The new capital will come on top of morethan $177 milliohn that Virgin Group, Black Canyon and Cyrus Capita spent to get the airline aloft.
In anotherf maneuver to boost revenue, Virgin Americza is exploring strategic partnerships withothet airlines, including London's and Australia's Virgibn Blue, two other carriers foundedx by Branson. Under those deals, passengers woulf be able to book flights that originate on another carrier and end onVirginj America, or vice Such alliances have becomed common in the U.S. airline industry to boos t revenue forboth parties. Just a few weekes ago a Virgin America JetblueAirways Corp., announced a deal with Ireland's Aer Linguz Group PLC. Virgin America, like all airlines, is under unprecedentedf cost pressure becauseof record-higg jet fuel prices.
"When we built our businesw plan, we didn't anticipate $100-a-barrel oil," said Donald Carty, Virgibn America's chairman, during an interview last "We have to suffer for a The airlinelost $34.8 milliohn on sales of $16 million in the quartedr ended Sept. 30, 2007, its first quarter of Cush declined to say which cities are unde r consideration for future Virgin America But he said the airline favors cities with large businesxs centers such as Chicago and two regions not served by theairline now.
Virginb America is marketing itself to both leisure and business travelers as it gears upa $5 millionm ad campaign in cities like San Francisco, San Diego New York, Washington, D.C., Las Vegaxs and Los Angeles, where it already flies. As it attractas some favorable reviewsfrom passengers, Virgin America has also attracted the scrutiny of rivalk carriers. Jetblue, and others have been quick to defensd againstVirgin America's attempts to stealk market share. Just this week, for example, Jetblue announced servicse from Los Angeles International Airport toNew York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, a key Virginn America corridor.
Alaska Airlines, in a swipe at Virgih America's new service between SFO and Seattle, added flights along that routeeas well.