Northern Executive Aviation (NEA), headquartered at Manchester International airport, is celebrating 40 years in the business aviation arena.

Currently employing 54 people, managing director David Antrobus can remember when the company had one single-engined aircraft and just a secretary:

He said: “When we first started, we flew only within the UK, during the daytime – often map reading. Now we fly day and night worldwide.”

NEA says it is the largest UK FBO outside London and is in possession of the only purpose-built aviation handling centre in the north west of England.