Branson flight stirs up sleeping Maharaja

Branson flight stirs up sleeping Maharaja
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, DEC 12: With Virgin Airways CEO Richard Branson's first flight aboard new partner Air-India, the sleeping Maharaja has rumbled into action.Bumped off his scheduled flight by British Airways, Branson opted to fly with his latest flying partner, Air-India.

And already the Virgin effect is in evidence. Air-India's public relations department bestirred itself from its weekend slothfulness to issue a press release announcing Branson's ``memorable'' flight.

Branson, never shy of playing to the gallery, did his bit by garlanding the cut-out of an Air-India airhostess at Delhi airport. Nor did he pass up the predictable photo-op of being clicked next to the AI-111 aircraft which he would travel in.

Branson's Virgin Atlantic Airways had, just two days ago, signed a pioneering agreement with Air-India under the terms of which the UK-based airline will be able to operate three flights a week between New Delhi and London.

But the Branson touch has begun to show results. In a long, long time Air-India'spublicity honchos got down to work to put out a press release on a Sunday. This newspaper was nudged by three phone calls on whether the press release had reached. Never mind that in their eagerness, grammar was a casualty: ``After British Airways bumps off....... Air-India flies Branson to London'', said the release headline.

An Air-India spokesperson was quoted as saying that within 48 hours of its newly-forged relationship, the Maharaja has proved that it was a friend indeed, to Branson and his four-member entourage who were all accommodated on the same flight.