VIRGIN ATLANTIC wants to open a route between SA and New York together with a local airline. Virgin chairman Richard Bransonhas said he was interested in buying into Sun Air, which is up for privatisation.
Virgin hopes to compete with SAA on the route. Sun Air is also rumoured to be planning an entry to foreign routes.
Together the two airlines could put a further squeeze on SAA which has already taken a beating on some of its traditional routes from foreign competition.
SAA has the rights to 14 flights a week to New York, although it has only taken up 10 so far. Several US airlines have introduced indirect flights via Europe.
