Virgin Australia mulls IPO in 2023 in fast rebound from collapse

VIRGIN Australia is considering listing in Sydney as early as next year, underscoring the airline's faster-than-expected recovery since collapsing at the start of the pandemic.

The Bain Capital-owned carrier was profitable in April and an initial public offering (IPO) is possible in 2023, a spokesperson said, confirming comments by Jayne Hrdlicka, Virgin Australia's chief executive officer, to The Australian newspaper.

Hrdlicka told The Australian that an IPO next year was "not outside the realm of possibility". "It's a lot faster than we thought it would be and we are flattered that this soon after becoming a new company and starting from scratch we're in a position where we're having these conversations, because it's extraordinary," Hrdlicka said, according to the newspaper.

Air passenger traffic in Australia is almost back to pre-Covid levels, the competition regulator said on Wednesday (Jun 8). BLOOMBERG