Aeronova, best known for its ad hoc cargo service, has launched a pan-European drive to increase passenger charters basing a 14-seat executive-configured Fairchild Metro III at the UK's Birmingham airport.

Valencia-based Aeronova has increased its Metro fleet to six since launch in 1996. Javier Olivares, md, says that 20 per cent of Aeronova's work is already in passenger charters and the firm plans to increase the passenger share of its total business.

He adds: "We have seen our business increasingly draw us into the UK, German and northern European markets, and our contacts and brokers would like us to broaden our offer to them. We already undertake a regular oil-related passenger rotation between the Netherlands and East Anglia each Wednesday. "We have also strengthened our German infrastructure by investing in engineering and maintenance support in Nurnberg. However we wanted to offer a completely dedicated passenger Metro in the UK market. Fortunately the owners of the re-fitted Metro III were happy to let us build upon our previous occasional use of the aircraft."

Basil O'Fee of Northpoint Aviation, which has been appointed as the UK and Irish passenger charter GSA for Aeronova, says: "This aircraft really gives us and the air brokers a completely new and unmatched offering. Often, small to medium sized groups have to commit to much larger solutions than they require, and this 14-seat option will be greatly welcomed in the UK market."

O'Fee says the current 18-seat availability of the other Metros will continue with special weekend discounts when typically the aircraft have more availability. "They are attracting business and interest from leisure users, such as sports-related groups. We can access an 18-seat passenger configured Metro from Lydd in Kent most Tuesdays and Thursdays. In effect we have 14- and 18-seat examples of the type available for the passenger market, and both are ideally placed for south east UK originating trips."