Virgin Atlantic chairman Richard Branson has been airbrushed out of the James Bond film Casino Royale in edits of the movie screened on rival airline British Airways.

London's The Daily Telegraph said the entrepreneur, and all references to his airline, had been airbrushed out by BA, which has a history of bitter spats with its rival.

Branson appears briefly in the cinema version of the film, being frisked at a Miami airport security arch.

But when he turns to face the camera, he is cut from the BA version. A Virgin Atlantic plane has also been given the chop, and where it could not be cut out, its tailfin has been painted over.

A BA spokesman said all in-flight films were vetted and confirmed that changes had been made to Casino Royale.

"We want to ensure they contain no material that might upset our customers," he told the newspaper.

Virgin Atlantic said it did not pay to appear in the 2006 film Casino Royale, which marked actor Daniel Craig's first turn as Bond, the suave British secret agent.

"We were phoned with a request from the film's producers to get a plane into Prague, which masqueraded as Miami airport, at very short notice. We were delighted to do so," a spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph.

The broadsheet said it understood that the blockbuster film's producers had been in negotiations with BA before turning to Virgin Atlantic at a late stage.

It is not the first time that BA has got the scissors out when its rival has appeared in a film.

Scenes in Virgin Atlantic's premium cabin were chopped out of The Wedding Date before it was deemed suitable for BA passengers.