The new bid - up from a previous offer of just one pound for each of the aging supersonic jets - marks perhaps the last desperate attempt by the flamboyant tycoon to buy Condorde.

British Airways, which is pensioning off its five working Concordes in October, has repeatedly insisted the jet has reached the end of its operating life and cannot be safely kept in the skies.

Air France, the only other carrier to fly the Anglo-French craft, has already ended its Concorde services.

Branson said he would hand over a million pounds for each of BA's planes, a"considerable return" for the British flag carrier given that it paid a symbolic one pound each for the jets when they first went into service.

"We have operators ready to help us keep it flying and would serve NewYork, Barbados and Dubai -- a new destination for the plane," Branson said in astatement.

"We hope we succeed but ultimately, that ball is in BA's court."

As an alternative plan, Branson said, a "heritage trust" could be jointly set up by Virgin, BA, Air France and Concorde's manufacturers to keep two planes flying for a limited service.

The tycoon said he would pledge a million pounds towards the creation ofthe trust if the other companies agreed.

BA maintains that its decision to ground the plane is backed by Airbus, which maintains Concorde.

Airbus is the successor company to the plane's joint manufacturers, France's Aerospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation, both of which were state-owned at the time.

Last month BA chief executive Rod Eddington said both his airline and Airbus were adamant that Concorde's working life, which began in 1977, could not be extended.

"Our experts and their experts have both come to the same conclusion. Itcouldn't be clearer," he said.

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