I'll wager Branson 'a knee in the groin' that Virgin Atlantic will disappear, says BA's Willie Walsh

Commenting on Delta Airlines' acquisition of Singapore Airlines' stake in Virgin Attantic, Walsh, boss of the IAG-owned BA carrier, has declared that Branson's brand will be 'consigned to the history books' within five years. 

'I can’t see Delta wanting to operate the Virgin brand because if they do what does that say about the Delta brand?' he told The Telegraph yesterday. 'Delta believe they are the number one airline in the world, so what they would want to do is acquire the slots at Heathrow to enable them to have a strong presence at Heathrow.'

Branson, who is reportedly furious at the slight on his airline, has responded by issuing a public £1m wager that Virgin Atlantic will still be going strong in five years. He issued a public statement, saying: 'Will BA never learn? Let’s see how much they believe this. Let them put their money where their mouth is.'