CommanderBond.net

LONDON — British Airways cut a cameo by Richard Branson from its in-flight version of the latest James Bond film and blurred out the tail fin of a Virgin Atlantic plane seen in the movie.

BA's entertainment team cut a cameo appearance by the Virgin Atlantic chairman that appears in the original version of “Casino Royale,” a spokesman confirmed Saturday. In the original film, Branson can be seen turning around after walking through a metal detector at Miami Airport.

“We screen all films before they're used on our aircraft so that we can control the content of what is displayed,” the spokesman said on condition of anonymity, in line with company policy. “We have full control over what is shown.”

The tail fin of a Virgin plane appearing in the film is also obscured in BA's in-flight version.

BA's entertainment team vets films on grounds of taste and suitability. Branson appeared in the film after his airline provided the producers with a plane to use in the movie.

Paul Charles, a spokesman for Virgin Atlantic, said it was a shame BA felt the cut was necessary.

He said Virgin made no changes to “Die Another Day” a Bond film featuring British Airways, adding his carrier's policy is not to edit the movies it shows.

“We think passengers should see the whole film and nothing but the whole film,” Mr. Charles said.

Relations between the rival British carriers were further strained last year after Virgin Atlantic Airways provided U.S. and British authorities with information that triggered an investigation of alleged airline price-fixing in passenger fares and fuel surcharges involving British Airways PLC.

Oh, I'm so hurt.

I won't miss him. There was enough product placement within the movie to last three films alone.

What I found odd was that there was no mention of the Miami airport sequence being cut out. Usually airlines will censor any sort of footage of an airplane crashing, exploding, depressurizing, or suffering any sort of distress so as not to alarm passengers. So, apparently, Richard Branson was more alarming than flaming wreckage strewn all over a Miami tarmac.

As a bit of an aside, was the torn card element of the storyline removed from the final version because it implicated an airport employee (the teller, I think) in Le Chiffre's scheme?

This is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard in a while. As though passengers are going to see the uncensored CASINO ROYALE and think: Hey, so there are airlines other than British Airways! That Branson fella looks a jolly sort, and his planes look awfully super. I'll keep an eye out for one passing by and hop on it!

I mean, the mind boggles. Next time I fly British Airways I'll make sure to wear a Virgin T-shirt.