Brian Souter, the Stagecoach founder, has been invited by Sir Richard Branson to join one of his inaugural Virgin Galactic space flights.

The Perth-born tycoon would join celebrities aboard the civilian flight, which is due to blast off from the New Mexico desert within the next two years.

The 54-year-old entrepreneur has confirmed that he is considering signing up for a 150-minute journey that would take him 70 miles above the planet.

Souter would fly for free, but tickets would normally cost about £120,000.

“Brian has received a personal invitation from Sir Richard Branson to take part in one of his Virgin Galactic space flights,” said his spokesman. “He has not yet made a final decision as to whether he will take up the offer.”

The men are friends. Souter, whose company employs 30,000 people and has a turnover of £1.5 billion, has holidayed on Necker, Branson’s private Caribbean island, and Branson has stayed at Souter’s country estate, Ochtertyre, near Crieff.

A number of people have signed up for the first commercial space flight.

They include the physicist, Stephen Hawking, the rock star, David Bowie, the actors William Shatner and Victoria Principal and the racing drivers Michael Schumacher, Nikki Lauda and Rubens Barrichello.

The project is being managed by Will Whitehorn, Virgin Galactic’s president, who was born in Haddington, East Lothian.

The flight will travel to 50,000ft, with passengers spending 20 minutes in space.

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