New 'baby Branson' service takes off

THE so-called "baby Branson" aviation executive, who launched a short-lived service of Edinburgh-Isle of Man flights aged 19, is to launch an airline serving the capital on Monday.

Varsity Express will be 23-year-old Martin Halstead's second attempt at running an airline after Alpha One Airways folded in 2006 after six weeks.

The new carrier will operate one 18-seat BAe Jetstream 31 aircraft, with an initial daily Edinburgh-Oxford return flight being doubled from 5 April, and a second route added between Oxford and Newcastle.