NEWS

With Branson's help, British billionaire appears to announce new prank

Thomas Gounley
TGOUNLEY@NEWS-LEADER.COM
Richard Branson

Two weeks ago, British billionaire Richard Branson said he was "exploring opportunities" in Branson, Missouri, after discovering the city was founded by a relative of his.

Now, he's claiming that he's moving the headquarters of the Virgin Group's US operations to the city — but people can't stop noting that it's almost April Fools' Day.

Branson claims Virgin America, the airline, will have flights to Branson from San Francisco. Virgin Hotels, he said, is "well on their way to developing their next property in Branson." And Virgin Limited Edition, he said, will base their next luxury property in Branson, offering guests "exclusive wagon trails."

Then it gets a little weird.

"Virgin Active are introducing a new Branson-themed workout that will have gym-goers tossing hay bales and rolling wagon wheels across the gym," Branson wrote on the company's blog. "Virgin Pure will ensure that the entire water supply throughout Branson is triple-filtered and purified to make it healthy for all – so I will always be able to enjoy the perfect tasting cup of tea whenever I'm in town. Virgin Holidays will be also offering package holidays to the city with a variety of attractions and excursions available through their concierge service."

Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley appears in an accompanying video, and the city's tourism operations and airport are playing it up big. Calls to several area officials weren't immediately returned.

Branson Airport put a statement from its executive director on its Facebook page Tuesday morning that made it clear there was no agreed-upon plan for Virgin America to serve the airport.

Of note: Virgin has historically been a fan of April Fools' Day jokes. In 2013, Virgin said it was launching the world's first glass-bottomed plane; shockingly, that never happened. Business Insider has more on Richard Branson's love of pranks.

"While we are obviously flattered that Richard Branson wants to fly his planes to #Branson ... he might have to wait in line," Bourk said. "I have my staff looking into gate availability, but it may be tough given Virgin's aggressive service rollout. In the meantime, we are anxious to see what incentives Virgin America can offer the airport and the community."

Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines both ceased serving Branson Airport in 2014, and the airport — currently served by public charter flights — has been actively hunting for another major carrier.