"Virgin’s deal with Delta, which is still waiting for regulatory approval, sparked speculation that the US giant could ditch the airline brand Sir Richard Branson created in 1984 – an accusation that was vigorously denied"

The theory there is that DAL would purchase the 49% stake in the company and sit by as VA's losses mount, then shift the LHR slots over to DAL as VA shrinks to the point of fiscal viability.
Can't see that theory panning out, and I'm not even sure something like that would be possible.

Anyone know how the slots work out in the UK. Can a carrier, such as VA, sell off some of there slots as a way to bring in capital, or do the slots get released back to the local airport authority?