The story
Founded by Richard Branson in 1996.1
On 23 April 1996, the Virgin Group (with chairman Richard Branson) bought the Belgian leisure airline EBA-EuroBelgian Airlines, founded by Victor Hasson and Georges Gutelman, and renamed it Virgin Express on September 2 of that same year. It also took over EBA's fleet of Boeing 737s and operated this type of aircraft from thereon. The airline soon concentrated on low-budget scheduled flights out of its Brussels hub, and became a major competitor for Sabena and later SN Brussels Airlines.
In October 2004, the Virgin Group sold the ownership to Delta Air Transport, and both airlines were placed under the control of SN Airholding holding company, chaired by Viscount Étienne Davignon. On 31 March 2006, SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express announced their merger into a single company, to be named Brussels Airlines. The combined airline added long haul destinations and strengthened its position in Africa.
From Wikipedia’s article on Virgin Express, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4