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Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic Airways have made it abundantly clear that they are interested in purchasing a stake in London’s Gatwick airport as part of a scheme to encourage an extensive restructuring of both conventional airports and the aviation industry as a whole. The news comes after the Competition Commission ruled that the British Aviation Authority (BAA) held a monopoly over British aviation and must relinquish up to three of its airports to the highest bidder.

Virgin Atlantic is one of the largest and most profitable aviation companies in the United Kingdom, earning an average of around £47 million a year. The company was founded in 1984 and has vied for supremacy over aerospace colossus, British Airways, ever since its inauguration. Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic spokesperson Paul Charles have long petitioned for a complete re-think of the way airports are run, with the latter hopeful of a system that would allow airlines to operate airports independently. “It would make the experience for passengers so much better than it is today” Mr. Charles said.

The airline has expressed that it would only be interested in purchasing the airport as part of a consortium of other airlines but some groups fear that repackaging airports as a corporate plaything may jeopardise passenger safety. While the number of companies involved in the deal is still a matter of conjecture, some reports indicate that groups as diverse as the Dubai royal family may be persuaded to part with their cash for a slice of Britain’s second largest airport.

The proposed deal is still in an embryonic state but the total cost is expected to reach £3 billion.