Virgin America

History

Virgin America was conceived in 2004 as a Virgin Group-branded, U.S.-based low-cost carrier; regulatory hurdles over foreign ownership delayed launch until the ownership structure was restructured to limit Virgin Group's stake to 25%, after which the airline began ticket sales in mid-2007 and flew its inaugural flights on 8 August 2007 from its San Francisco Bay Area base. It grew into a well-regarded transcontinental carrier known for early inflight Wi-Fi (2009) and completed an IPO on NASDAQ in November 2014, before Alaska Air Group agreed on 4 April 2016 to acquire the airline for about $2.6 billion.

Current Operations

Virgin America no longer exists as an operating airline. Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition on 14 December 2016, Virgin America flew its final flight under its own "Redwood" call sign on 10 January 2018, and full integration onto Alaska's passenger service system was completed on 24 April 2018, after which the Virgin America brand was retired. Its former routes, aircraft, and San Francisco/Los Angeles focus are now operated by Alaska Airlines.

Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.

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