Ananova:

A Middlesex businessman is to become the first person in the world to use air miles to be blasted into space.

Alan Watts, 51, from Harrow, has flown upper class with Virgin Atlantic to the US around 40 times in the past six years.

It earned him two million air miles - enough to pay for the £100,000 trip to space with Virgin Galactic.

Mr Watts, the managing-director of an electrical engineering firm, said it would be the most exciting thing he has ever done in his life.

"The nearest I've come to space before was going on the Space Mountain ride in Florida," he said.

The businessman will have three days of training before boarding the spacecraft, which travels at almost 5,000kph.

Richard Branson revealed that Mr Watts would be among the first passengers as he unveiled a model of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip2 in New York.

"When we first contacted Alan to let him know he had qualified for this unique offer, I think he thought it was a prank call," he said.

"Personally I am delighted that we have made it possible for Alan to do something that previously he had never dreamed was possible for him."