Oceania Express CEO Alex Jacquot has made headlines around the world recently. It has perhaps got to do with the fact that he’s only 10 years old. Find out more about the impressive youngster and his company.

10-year-old CEO Alex Jacquot's letter to Qantas CEO

Alex Jacquot is the CEO of his own airline, Oceania Express, at age 10. In early 2019, he wrote a candid handwritten letter to Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce, asking for advice on how to run an airline. Here is Alex Jacquot’s full letter to Joyce:

Qantas Airways is the flag carrier of Australia and the third oldest airline in the world. Joyce surprisingly replied to the kid in February and promised him a meeting.

“Thank you for letting me know about your new airline. I had heard some rumours of another entrant in the market, so I appreciate you taking the time to write,” Jacquot wrote in the letter.

Joyce took the time to answer the little boy’s questions and concluded the letter with an invitation, writing, “I would like to invite you to a Project Sunrise meeting between myself, as the CEO of Australia’s oldest airline, and you, as the CEO of Australia’s newest airline.

Well, the meeting actually happened! Jacquot and Joyce had a formal meeting in March at the Qantas headquarters in Sydney. Jacquot was joined by his deputy CEO Wolf Stringer, who is also 10 years old, and Head of Inflight Service, Mila Jacquot, who is 7 years old. The young trio sat across Joyce, Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth and QantasLink CEO John Gissing.

Qantas provided Oceania Express with a new logo, business cards and a mockup of Oceania Express brand on a Boeing 787 illustration. The airline also registered oceaniaexpress.com.au on behalf of the young CEO. Jacquot signed an agreement to work with Qantas from 2026 after he graduates high school. He is allowed to extend the period if he decides to go to college.

“This is a big day for our little airline. We’ve got a lot to learn from them but they can learn from us, too. We’ve got some ideas about how to make long flights less boring. I like the Qantas inflight entertainment for kids but I think we can beat it,” Jacquot said post the meeting.

Qantas has launched the ‘Qantas Future High Flyers’ program for enthusiastic school children who can visit the Qantas Headquarters in Sydney and meet their team.