Virgin IPO may not fly for next boss

As Jayne Hrdlicka heads for the departure lounge at Virgin Australia, her successor will need to grapple with an airline that, while profitable, lacks a compelling reason for Australians to love it. Sandwiched between Qantas and its low-cost carrier Jetstar, Hrdlicka has made great strides in simplifying Virgin’s proposition.

But the resulting airline – which only flies short-haul international and domestically in Australia, using a single fleet type and dual-class cabin – is hardly exciting fodder for international airline talent considering their next move. And as fund managers point out, middle-of-the-road is nothing they’re excited about investing in either.