Last week, Sir Richard offered to buy the supersonic planes from British Airways for �1 after BA said it would be retiring the planes later this year.

Passenger numbers have never recovered since Concorde's crash near Paris in 2000 and the aircraft is unprofitable.

But Sir Richard said Virgin Atlantic would be able to operate the plane because the carrier is more efficient than BA.

Supersonic plea

"We would very much like to fly Concorde," Sir Richard told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

"Since Concorde was built by the British taxpayer at the cost of some billions of pounds and given to British Airways for one pound, if there is a carrier such as Virgin Atlantic with a lower cost base and willing to operate it, we believe British Airways... ought to hand the planes over to Virgin Atlantic."

Sir Richard said BA should not be mothballing the planes when they still had several years flying life left in them.

"I've written to British Airways and asked them if they will give us the planes rather than giving the planes to a museum.