Virgin founder Richard Branson tells Forbes. “There is likely to be an announcement of an alliance coming very soon”

Branson declined to say which alliance Virgin would join, but it is unlikely to be OneWorld, the group that includes Virgin arch-competitor British Airways. That leaves Star Alliance, anchored by United Continental Holdings and Lufthansa, or SkyTeam, anchored by Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM, as possibilities. Of those two, Virgin Atlantic’s operations are more closely aligned with Star Alliance: the airline is 49% owned by Star Alliance carrier Singapore Airlines, has expressed interest in buying BMI from Lufthansa, and includes nine Star Alliance members among its partners.