A-Level student sets up low-cost airline

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

19 years

Posts: 841

Schoolboy launches airline from his bedroom

An A-level student has launched a no-frills airline from his bedroom in Merseyside.

Daniel Reilly, 18, from Maghull, is thought to be the youngest chief executive of an airline in the world.

He was inspired to set up Nexus Airlines after completing a school project on low-cost airlines. He is currently leasing a Boeing 737 plane from Futura International Airlines, based in Palma.

The teenager said: "I started flying lessons when I was 16 and my friends started joking about us buying a plane together and flying people around the world. It was just a joke really but I took it a bit more seriously and decided to look into it.

"I've always been interested in aviation so I decided to do my A-Level business studies project on setting up an airline. I called round a few airlines and asked how they had done it and I slowly realised it was quite achievable."

Daniel, who attends Deyes High School in Maghull, showed his project to a financial adviser who found backers for the business.

Initially the airline will operate services from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura from its new headquarters in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Customers will be able to book flights - which cost from £50 one-way - from Friday, with the first flights taking off on November 1 this year.

In the meantime, the new airline chief is awaiting the results of his A levels in Business Studies, English Language, Sociology and General Studies.

He said: "Most of my school friends are now going off to university but I'm in charge of an airline.

"I don't know if I will be the next Richard Branson but I certainly wouldn't say no."

(Sorry about not knowing about the other threads) :o
Just some info for you

Original post

Member for

19 years

Posts: 8,846

Check out thread Nexus Airways.

Member for

19 years 9 months

Posts: 679

He must have some serious cash on his hands to lease an B738! :D

I don't know whether this airline will ever take-off though. (Excuse the pun)

Flex 35

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 4,213

Heres a fact, NEXUS was a Virtual Airline before, I assume of this guy running it. Amazing how a A Level in Business Studies prepares you for running a large company, i think not. Even if you combine Mark L and I we still learn alot! Who wants to take my £100 bet of this not "taking off"!

Member for

19 years 5 months

Posts: 1,887

I think it will take of. As for how long it lasts is another matter. This winter will be crucial for them. If they do well they have a good chance of expanding. If dont do so well I dont see much of a future for them

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 9,401

Another teenage CEO!

Good luck to the guy, nice to see his headquarters are based in Bradford, come on lad - LBA is just up the road! :D.

Member for

19 years 5 months

Posts: 1,887

Talking of LBA, just hope their not another Planet Airways (that was their name wasnt it?)

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 9,401

Indeed it was, (Planetair to be 110% precise ;)).

Member for

21 years

Posts: 869

Heres a fact, NEXUS was a Virtual Airline before, I assume of this guy running it. Amazing how a A Level in Business Studies prepares you for running a large company, i think not. Even if you combine Mark L and I we still learn alot! Who wants to take my £100 bet of this not "taking off"!

Give the guy a break. There's a lot more that goes on behind the scenes with these things than most people could ever imagine and because the public don't always see what's happening they are quick to write things off. I'm sure he has a great team of unsung heros behind him that none of us know about. Afterall it takes a lot more than just 1 guy to run an airline. He's done a damn fine job getting this far and having spoken to the chap on several occassions I'm sure they'll be up and flying.

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 602

Fair play to him. Even IF it doesn't get "off the ground" he has still created a great name for himself which will most certainly help him through many interviews with airlines (I presume his ambition was to become an airline pilot).

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 1,940

I say good luck to him. I was fascinated to read his story in the newspaper and I hope he makes a success of this.

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 4,255

Not gonna happen sorry

Member for

19 years 10 months

Posts: 284

Good luck to him, but I'm not very optimistic about it. The fares will be significantly higher than other larger and more established low-cost airlines. The difference from other low costs appears to be the slightly longer routes to the canaries, and these longer routes will mean that less sectors can be flown by each aircraft per day. This will also mean higher costs and therefore higher fares. It depends on whether people will be willing to pay significantly more to fly to these slightly further destinations compared with easyJet's mainland Spain/Portugal destinations for much less.
They will also have the charter seat-only flights as competition which already offers services to this type destinations.

On the news he was saying how he thought there was a gap in the market for these services but I don't really see it.

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 9,401

Well (Sorry to bring this back to the same old topic!), Jet2 have spotted a market with 3x weekly services to TFS from LBA starting this winter, I dont think LPL is exactly overweighed with charter flights either, you have to remember the planes will be leased from Futura anyway, based in the Canaries, so aircraft utilisation will be less of an issue.

Member for

19 years 9 months

Posts: 679

I think if he charged reasonable prices and served destinations which are seldom covered from LPL he could be successful. But I will believe it when I see that B738 on LPL's ramp! ;)

Flex 35

Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 582

well i have just seen him on the local news, on itv, about the phones opening on friday.
I say well done and the best of luck to him!!!
an i hope they go far as im sure they will

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 9,401

Heard him on the Colin and Edith show on Radio 1 today, (Dont know why he was on that!), seems like a pretty down to earth guy, though hes one of these annoying ones that says 'obviously' in every sentence ;).

He says they may be planning routes to other untapped loco markets in the future (Cyprus, Greece and Turkey were mentioned.)

Good luck to him!

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 6,503

I can't see why it won't take off. If he is able to offer destinations at such low fares, then I'm sure it won't prove to much of a problem in filling an aircraft.

Member for

19 years 9 months

Posts: 598

Heard him on the Colin and Edith show on Radio 1 today, (Dont know why he was on that!), seems like a pretty down to earth guy, though hes one of these annoying ones that says 'obviously' in every sentence ;).

Yep, I heard him on RTE 2FM this morning being interviewed, didn't notice to many 'obviously' s but lots of 'basically.' Basically we rang them, they basically said this, we basically heard that, we basically did that and basically here we are :rolleyes:

Basically we live, we die. :o

Good luck to him.

Member for

20 years 11 months

Posts: 9,401

LOL - Thought I was the only person who got annoyed with people who constantly said 'obviously' and 'basically'! :D.