CHAMPAGNE corks popped as the first daily scheduled flight from London Oxford Airport headed for Edinburgh.
Entrepreneur Martin Halstead, 23, launched the celebrations before joining the inaugural Varsity Express flight.
Summertown-based Mr Halstead, nicknamed “Baby Branson” after previously setting up an ill-fated Oxford-Cambridge service five years ago at the age of 18, said he was confident about his latest venture. “It has been a long time coming but the market has completely changed.
“Five years ago, people were still getting used to the idea of flying from a local airport but now Oxford has a new terminal and is ready to provide this sort of service.”
Mr Halstead, who had been working as a pilot in Greece and will help fly the 18-seat BAE Jetstream 31 plane, set up Varsity Express after being approached by a group of investors. Mr Halstead added: “The journey by train takes more than six hours.”
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