Airlines
Virgin Wins $160 Million Alaska Airlines Trademark Lawsuit
On Thursday, a judge in London ruled that Virgin Group is entitled to royalties even though Alaska Airlines Inc. no longer uses the Virgin brand, and the company won the trademark dispute for almost $160 million.
Alaska is obligated to pay a yearly “minimum royalty” payment of almost $8 million, according to Virgin entities Virgin Aviation TM Ltd and Virgin Enterprises Ltd. In a written decision issued on Thursday, Judge Christopher Hancock stated that the minimal royalty was “a flat fee payable for the right to use the Virgin brand, whether or not that right is taken up.”
Virgin’s acquisition of Alaska included “a branding agreement running until 2039 with clear commitments,” a company representative said, adding, “We are glad the court agreed with our arguments.”
According to a representative for Alaska, the case “lacks merit, and we intend to appeal the decision.”Before Alaska Air Group Inc. completed its $2.6 billion acquisition of Virgin America, Virgin gave a trademark licence to Virgin America to use its brand in connection with the running of a domestic U.S. airline.
In 2018, Alaska’s operations were integrated with those of Virgin America, and the Virgin name was dropped the following year. In October, Virgin informed the London High Court that Alaska is required to make the yearly payment as Virgin America Inc.’s legal heir.
Alaska’s attorneys said that it was “commercially nonsensical” to be bound by a contract that would cost it $8 million year for trademarks it does not intend to use. Hancock, however, found that the agreement indicated that “Virgin America should pay a continuing minimum charge for the right to re-use the Virgin brand, whether or not they choose to do so.” According to the judge, the conditions of the contract “must be examined from the standpoint of Virgin and Virgin America… instead of from Alaska’s viewpoint.
Airlines
First Look: IndiGo Takes Delivery of A321neo with New Business Class
India’s largest domestic airline, IndiGo (6E), celebrated its 18th anniversary in August 2024 by announcing a major upgrade: a new Business Class product called “IndiGo Stretch.”
Now, the airline has officially taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo aircraft fitted with these premium seats. Registered as VT-ICF, this first A321neo with the new configuration took off from Hamburg (XFW) at 6:06 PM local time, operating flight 6E9001.
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The launch route for IndiGo’s A321neo with IndiGo Stretch seats will be from Delhi to Mumbai, starting November 14, 2024. After this initial route, the airline plans to expand the offering across its network.
Airbus completed the final assembly of this special aircraft in Hamburg, where the A321neo Final Assembly Line is located. Enthusiastic planespotters got a sneak peek of the new IndiGo Stretch interior before the aircraft’s official delivery to India.
Tobias Gudat, a planespotter on X.com, captured images of the aircraft, still marked with its test registration, showcasing its fresh Business Class interior.
Adding a distinctive touch, each IndiGo aircraft featuring the Stretch product will have the slogan “IndiGo Means Business” displayed on the fuselage, signaling a new era of premium travel for the airline.
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IndiGo took delivery of the A321neo with the Stretch seats on October 30, 2024, coinciding with Airbus’s delivery of the world’s first A321XLR to Iberia.
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