Melbourne Airport pitches to become Virgin's home base

Melbourne Airport has made a bold pitch to become Virgin Australia's new home, arguing the collapsed airline must walk away from its Brisbane base to better exploit the lucrative route between the nation's two largest cities. Virgin was placed into voluntary administration Tuesday, sparking a frenzy of interest from state govts and private sector bidders. Media revealed this week transport magnate Lindsay Fox held talks with the Andrews govt and Virgin about moving its operations to his privately owned Avalon airport. The Queensland govt has unveiled a A$200m rescue package for the airline and said it would "stop at nothing" to keep it based in Brisbane. Potential bidders view support from state govts as a critical factor in determining the airline's future. <br/>