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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Economy & Trade

Virgin’s Branson blames ‘foolish leaders’ starting wars for higher flight prices

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Virgin Group founder Richard Branson blamed wars started by “foolish leaders” for rising flight prices and criticized the conflict involving Iran.
  • Jet fuel prices surged after the outbreak of the war, prompting Virgin Atlantic to add surcharges of up to £360 to fares.
  • Virgin Atlantic said the surcharges were necessary at current fuel prices, while the White House was asked for comment.

Sir Richard Branson has blamed “foolish leaders” who start wars for the rise in flight prices, in a pointed reference to the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

The Iran conflict was completely unnecessary. There was a nuclear agreement between Iran and the rest of the world that had been negotiated by President Obama and a lot of European people.

· Richard BransonBranson criticized the conflict and defended the earlier nuclear agreement with Iran.

The tensions have disrupted the production and transportation of millions of barrels of oil, sending up the price of car and jet fuels. Virgin Atlantic responded in May by adding a fuel surcharge to its tickets.

Branson said the war was unnecessary and argued that an earlier nuclear agreement with Iran had been working. “The Iran conflict was completely unnecessary. There was a nuclear agreement between Iran and the rest of the world that had been negotiated by President Obama and a lot of European people,” he said. “It was working, so there was no need to rip it up... And this war has just resulted in much higher oil prices all over the world. And inflation has been one of the consequences.”

It was working, so there was no need to rip it up... And this war has just resulted in much higher oil prices all over the world. And inflation has been one of the consequences.

· Richard BransonHe linked the conflict to higher oil prices and inflation.

European benchmark jet fuel prices had hovered around $800 (£590) a tonne before rising above $1,800 in April after the conflict began. They have since fallen to about $1,450. Virgin Atlantic chief executive Corneel Koster said fuel surcharges were “absolutely required” at that level, although he added that it was “hard to be optimistic at this moment about the situation in the Middle East.”

absolutely required

· Corneel KosterThe Virgin Atlantic chief executive described fuel surcharges as necessary at current jet fuel prices.

The surcharge added £50 to economy fares, £180 to premium fares and £360 to business-class tickets. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly defended the conflict as necessary for long-term peace and security. The White House was contacted for comment.

hard to be optimistic at this moment about the situation in the Middle East

· Corneel KosterKoster expressed concern about the regional conflict and its effect on fuel prices.
About this summary

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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