Say hello to Virgin

It must have been an odd sight for the airline passengers looking out their oval windows Wednesday afternoon as they landed on the runway of John Wayne Airport.

British billionaire businessman Sir Richard Branson was standing in red swim trunks and carrying a boogie board, flanked by the cast of “Real Housewives of Orange County” dressed in short skirts and stilettos, and Orange County Supervisors John Moorlach and Janet Nguyen wore business suits, all sharing the same small makeshift stage set up on the tarmac.

Red carpets were taped to the pavement, guests (mostly people who worked for the airline and its suppliers — who else can go to a party at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday?) walked around with cocktails and champagne, and loud bass pumped from the speakers.

Just feet away from where Branson greeted people, a middle-aged man with pale, ruddy skin took off his shirt in front of the crowd, spread his arms out and turned in circles while a girl sprayed his back and belly with bronze tanning solution (Sunset Tan was offering gift certificates to South Coast Plaza to try it).

Virgin America Airlines, one of the offshoots of Branson’s Virgin empire, started service out of John Wayne Wednesday with five daily flights from Orange County to San Francisco. Although Wednesday’s launch party was unprecedented for John Wayne, according to Director of Operations Alan Murphy, similar publicity stunts are put on by the young airline at every destination that it adds to its growing chain of cities.

Orange County’s party seemed particularly “O.C.”

“They wanted to make sure everybody knew they were here,” Murphy said.

John Wayne doesn’t get new airlines very often. The last time was in 2003, according to airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge.

Virgin’s entry into the market was brought on by the bankruptcy of Aloha Airlines, which used to fly out of the airport before going out of business in 2008.

Virgin thrives on visibility, the reason for the runway party.

The low-cost airline also offers eye-catching amenities like in-flight wireless Internet and video games.

Branson said he modeled the idea after an image he had of 1930s airlines that were “fun, sexy and enjoyable,” as opposed to today’s “mundane and boring” airlines.

“Virgin is trying to bring the glamour back to flying,” he said, adding that he planned to go kite surfing in Laguna Beach after the event.

Virgin’s Orange County to San Francisco flights will start at 7 a.m. and start about $50 each way.

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Reporter ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at [email protected].