Virgin is the second-biggest airline at Heathrow airport, where landing slots are hard to acquire.

BBC: Singapore Airlines in talks on Virgin Atlantic sale

Virgin has the second largest share.

FORBES: Delta Seeks Virgin Share as Doorway to Heathrow

Virgin Atlantic has a new code share with Russia's second largest carrier Transaero Airlines, which allows travellers to fly direct into Moscow from London on a Virgin issued ticket and connects US cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Orlando via London to Moscow.

BBC: The roar of rising Russia

He admits these "mad things" have been "irresponsible, foolish" given his importance to the Virgin empire, and to his second wife, Joan, and their two children.

FORBES: Red Baron

Among contenders for the top spot offshore is OIL, which has benefited from an Asian fondness for companies from the British Virgin Islands (on paper the second-largest investor in China in 2010, after Hong Kong).

ECONOMIST: Company formation

Coming in second, in a four-way tie for second place, were Lufthansa, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and EasyJet.

BBC: How eco is your airline?

The Financial Times reported that Liberty plans a potential takeover of Virgin Media, creating the UK's second biggest pay-TV business after BSkyB.

BBC: Virgin Media in talks with John Malone's Liberty Global

Delta, the second-biggest US airline, has been looking to buy into Virgin for more than two years, as it looks to increase its access to London's Heathrow airport.

BBC: Singapore Airlines in talks on Virgin Atlantic sale

Virgin Media has upgraded its cable network to support speeds of up to 50Mbps (megabits per second) and is trialling 200Mbps in Kent.

BBC: Manchester to gain fibre network

Nottingham is named as the best destination for students in the Virgin 2003 Alternative Guide to British Universities - beating 2001 winner Sheffield into third place, and Leeds into second.

BBC: Nottingham University gets top marks