19-Year-Old Martin Halstead Starts His Own Airline

“Baby Branson,” as the British press has dubbed him, sees himself as a James Bond type. Translation: the flight attendants on Alpha One Airlines are hot.

From the AP story about the Halstead:

“They’re all very good looking,” he said of the onboard staff of Alpha One Airways, which made its debut flight this week between the south of England and the Isle of Man, a tax haven off the southeast coast. “I’m very pleased with the uniforms.”

But he is as quick to talk about his very real achievements, seemingly lifted direct from the average teenager’s daydreams: He set up his first business at 15, and qualified as a pilot at 18. Now, regular passenger flights on the new airline are due to start Nov. 21.

As the face of the airline, bawdy talk fits neatly with the persona he wants to project. “I see myself as a James Bond type,” he said, and added that he hopes to be driving an Aston Martin fairly soon.

If this kind of personality-driven business strategy sounds familiar, it’s because Halstead has honed his plans in talks with Richard Branson, chairman and ubiquitous public relations face of the Virgin group of companies.

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