Flights of fancy
Monday 20th July 2009, 3:00PM BST.
Airport director Julian Green
JERSEY Airport bosses were duped by a teenager from the UK who convinced them that his fake airline was about to launch cut-price flights from the Island to the UK and Europe.
Under the pseudonym Adam Tait, the 17-year-old from Yorkshire flew to the Island in April for a 90-minute meeting with Airport director Julian Green.
Mr Tait said that he was the UK-based agent for American Global Group and wanted to set up ‘an ambitious network’ of flights between Jersey, the UK and Europe. However, the airline did not exist, and neither did the fleet of 12 jets to which Mr Tait claimed to have immediate access.
The UK police have questioned the teenager, who is understood to suffer from a form of autism, but will not be taking any action against him.
Mr Green declined to comment, but issued a statement which confirmed that he had met Mr Tait. The Airport authorities said that no comment could be made on what was discussed because of commercial sensitivity.
The statement said that although Jersey Airport had had discussions with Mr Tait in recent weeks about his proposal, further information had come to light in recent days and negotiations had ended.
Mr Tait also contacted Guernsey-based airline Aurigny whose commercial director Malcolm Coupar said: From the outset we had reservations about the guy. It would appear that he had some financial backing and we didn’t want to dismiss a possibility before advancing as far as we could.’
The scam was revealed by a journalist from Airliner World magazine who became suspicious.
Read the full story in the Jersey Evening Post. Click here for subscription details. Individual editions are also available online.
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“The Airport authorities said that no comment could be made on what was discussed because of commercial sensitivity.”
… and of course because Mr Green feels like a right wally for being had by a 17 year old.
Brightened up my day.
By the way Mr Green, my 13 year old daughter wishes to arrange a meeting to discuss her tarmac company relaying the runway.
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Please can someone tell me that the above is a joke. Why the heck did Mr Green have a meeting with a 17 year old man from England would said he was a representatives for an american airline. What company in their right mind have 17 year olds as their representatives? Also why didn’t Mr Green do some research on the company before the meeting? If he had he would of found out they are a shipping company not a airline company.
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Priceless you couldn’t make it up could you, a 17 year old boy with learning difficulties dupes the airport director into thinking he has his own airline with 12 jets.
The airport director makes no checks and doesn’t think there is anything unusual about a boy owning an airline.
Presumably he will now be resigning, I couldn’t turn up for work if I’d been had as comprehensively as this.
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Green should be fired. Wonder why he didnt do any background checks on this. Only takes two seconds to do a google search or to pick up a phone to call this so called company he worked for! This news also broke onto foxnews.com
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Don’t worry Julian, the states of jersey have been doing this to the populus for years.
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hahaha pathetic !!!!
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Heh. I had to check the date on this wasn’t 1 April. Hilarious.
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is this the same airport chappie who resigned then decided to come back again and if so why did we take him back???????
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Is Mr Green being paid too much or too little? A serious question which has yet to be aired in a sixth form common room near you.
I have no doubt Mr Green will be publicising this and himself in the next issue of the Airport rag.
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This could on been very dangerous,was the lad carrying,any butter,etc.
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How much do we pay Mr Green ?? what an appropriate name.
This is priceless no wonder it got on Fox News, the whole world must be laughing but I suppose he keeps his job even if he wasnt on the ball.Why didnt someone check this person out before interview, its unbelievable.
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The airport is having millions spent on it for “Tourists” who are leaving, and now also for entertaining imposters. Ironically the real tourists who managed to stay a while will soon find that many of the State run tourist activities have been closed through no funding.
If this was on a comedy program we would all laugh, so perhaps Rowan Atkinson can be encouraged to meet our Mr Green, and get the script written?
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This is the type of news I like reading. No doom or gloom, just some poor fellow looking like a complete tit.
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If Mr Green needs a career change he can always enter poltics. He has now passed the test and has proved he has the credentials to become a politician. Especially one in Jersey!
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Do they take security similarly “serious”? Why did the UK police question the teenager? Any law against making a joke out of these high-earners? he should get a medal instead!
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Green by name…Green by nature it seems…
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can’t really see how they got a story out of this one, they were suspecious when they did there checks, its not like they handed over any money
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Did no alarm bells go off when a 17 year old boy walked in and claimed to have a dozen planes and was willing to launch cut price flights to the island?
The number of people in this island running around claiming to be world class and at the same time making incredibly elementary mistakes amazes me.
Another good example is WEB, they cost the island a mint but the Waterfront staggers from one disaster or cost over run to another.
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Just about sums up the whole place at the mo! Well done to Mr Tait, or whoever he is! Best laugh in ages, and brilliant comment from Spring Heeled Jack!
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Well done to the 17 year old for fooling them for months.
he is so clever they should employ him as an administrator in the states!!!!!!!!!!
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DP 17 “can’t really see how they got a story out of this one, they were suspecious when they did there checks, its not like they handed over any money”
Spelling mistakes aside, are you serious, this is the funniest story I’ve read in ages.Overpaid idiot is conned by autistic boy?
When they replace him the ad should read “Airport director wanted, the ability to distinguish between a 17 year old autistic child and an airline exec a distinct advantage”
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The bare faced cheek of this makes me laugh, is anyone else reminded of the young man who did something similar in “Catch me if you Can” with Leo Di Caprio and Tom Hanks?
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Can I just point out, that the Kid probably didn’t tell them he was 17… and I have seen quite a few 17 year olds looking older, and 20-somethings looking a lot younger…
That aside, this is hilarious!!!
Totally agree with Someone (no.13).
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come on guys, give the guy a break! The airport had the last laugh. Although THEY flew him here even though he could get his hands on 12 jets, what hasn’t been reported is that they actually conned the young lad. Not only did he have to “enjoy” the fine standard of Jersey Building Site, sorry I mean “Airport” – but they also hit him with horrendously high charges for excess baggage! That’ll teach the little blighter!
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