On a recent Virgin America flight, Gadling had the opportunity to sit with CEO David Cush and chat about budget carriers, bankruptcy and the the future of one of the fastest growing airlines in the United States. Blogger Grant had the pleasure of speaking briefly with Mr. Cush, the excerpts from which we’ve posted below:
Grant: You’re actually not the only person with a tie on the flight. I kept mine in my pocket though.
David Cush: I’m taking this off as soon as we get to the launch party.
G: So Virgin brought you in from American Airlines. How has the transition been between operating at a legacy carrier to at a low cost carrier startup?
DC: For me personally it’s been a lot of fun. You can be a lot more creative here and the decisions we make can be implemented a lot faster. It’s been really great.
G: And with the higher volatility in the Low Cost Carrier market, have you been affected at all by the recent market?
DC: Well we have the benefit of having funding from a strong investment group, so that significantly helps from the investment standpoint. So we’ve been alright.
G: I bet. So with the departure of many airlines from the middle of the country, has Virgin America got any plans to expand?
DC: We do have one or two more routes opening up before the end of the year
G: Any clues as to what those might be?
DC: We do want to continue expanding our north-south routes similar to the Los Angeles – Seattle route that you’re on right now. But I can tell you that it will be east of the Mississippi.
G: You should totally move in on Skybus’s old territory.
DC: …..
G: Anyway, thanks for having me up to first class.
DC: Thank you.