据媒体报道，理查德布兰森的维珍大西洋航空公司正在考虑首次公开募股并可能在伦敦证券交易所上市，以加强公司的财务状况。
报道称，布兰森的维珍集团拥有英国克劳利航空公司51%的股份，该航空公司一直在与机构投资者讨论可能的IPO，内部人士表示，花旗和巴克莱银行的银行家已被聘请来监督此次上市。
基于机构投资者在讨论中的积极回应，该公司可能会在秋季宣布其 IPO 意向。首次公开募股将是维珍航空自1984年开始运营以来首次向公众出售股票。
除非布兰森选择认购该航空公司的新股权，否则他也可能会通过 IPO 放弃对该公司的控制权。达美航空拥有维珍航空剩余的 49% 股权。
内部人士表示，维珍航空并不急需资金，因为它有足够的资金来度过接下来的几个月。然而，据报道，布兰森和其他高管对 IPO 的想法持开放态度，以便随着航空业从 COVID-19 大流行及以后的复苏中提供未来的融资机会。
维珍航空的跨大西洋旅游业务在 2020 年受到大流行的重创后，该航空公司去年9月安排了 11 亿英镑（16.7 亿美元）的救助计划，其中包括来自布兰森的2亿英镑、来自对冲基金戴维森肯普纳资本管理公司的贷款以及来自现有债权人的资金。
According to media reports, Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic is considering an initial public offering and possibly listing on the London Stock Exchange to strengthen the company's finances.
According to the report, Branson's Virgin Group owns 51% of the shares in British Crawley Airlines. The airline has been discussing a possible IPO with institutional investors. Insiders said that bankers from Citibank and Barclays have been hired to oversee this listing.
Based on positive responses from institutional investors during discussions, the company may announce its IPO intentions in the fall. The initial public offering will be Virgin's first sale of shares to the public since it began operations in 1984.
Unless Branson chooses to subscribe for new shares in the airline, he could also relinquish control of the company through an IPO. Delta owns the remaining 49% of Virgin Atlantic's shares.
Insiders say Virgin is not in a hurry for funding because it has enough to get through the next few months. However, Branson and other executives are reportedly open to the idea of an IPO to provide future funding opportunities as the airline industry recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
After Virgin's transatlantic travel business was hit hard by the pandemic in 2020, the airline arranged a £1.1 billion ($1.67 billion) bailout plan last September, which included £200 million from Branson, loans from hedge fund Davidson Kempner Capital Management, and funding from existing creditors.
