Police: British teen posed as airline exec

YORK, England, July 19 (UPI) -- A 17-year-old British youth convinced airline executives for six months that he owned and operated his own airline, police say.

Police said the Yorkshire county teen, whose identity was not reported, operated his imaginary airline through the pseudonym Adam Tait and also allegedly pretended to be non-existent company executives in phone calls with air industry officials, The Sunday Times of London reported.

The imaginary executives informed industry bosses of a plan to create a new discount airline based out of the Channel Islands that would service most of Europe, police said.

The teen reportedly attempted to lease an airplane while posing as an executive, but was stopped by executives.

During the six months he posed as an airline official, the teen also met with an airport executive in the British crown dependency of Jersey and that meeting led to a second scheduled meeting involving the teen.

The Times said the ruse by the teen, who has not been charged by police, was only uncovered after the Airliner World publication became suspicious.

The teen's father, whose identity was also not revealed, said his son previously used deception to nearly convince the cast of the movie "High School Musical" to visit a British theater.