Can He Help Break Approval Gridlock?
Talk about a blast from the past… Virgin America announced Monday the airline has appointed Don Carty (right), former CEO of American Airlines’ parent company AMR, as non-executive chairman for the US start-up airline. “I’m really excited about the business plan that Virgin America has,” Carty told Fortune Magazine Monday. “We have an awful lot of capital, a very good management team. And the Virgin brand is just the icing on the cake.” Carty comes onboard as Virgin America has hit something of a stalemate in its quest for federal regulatory approval — stemmed, at least in part, by domestic airlines not thrilled with the prospect of competing with Virgin on American soil. Airline executives hope Carty’s experience with running an airline — as well as his connections in Washington — will help VA break through the gridlock, fueled by questions of where VA is getting its investment capitol. “[Domestic airlines] have competed against Richard Branson before,” said Carty, “so they are g
