Virgin Atlantic needs a partner to remain competitive, founder Richard Branson told Bloomberg in an interview published on Wednesday.

It makes sense for Virgin Atlantic to have a partner as well, Branson told Bloomberg.

But he added, I will certainly still be extremely involved in the airline, whatever we decide to do, and I will still be a major shareholder. We are in discussions with various people and will see what comes out of it.

The company could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday evening.

Virgin Atlantic may need to merge with a rival or join an airline alliance to survive in the increasingly competitive world of aviation, which has been changed by the advent of cross-border super carriers.

(Reporting by Maria Aspan; Editing by Vinu Pilakkott)

Richard Branson