Cello Aviation, based in Birmingham, is reporting double the booking levels in the first six months of 2012 compared with the first half of last year. "Things are tough and even big spenders are being careful but we are experiencing encouraging growth," says Nim Baines, Cello ceo.

Most recently Cello flew a party of officials and supporters of Audi to the Le Mans 24-hour race, where the manufacturer achieved a remarkable clean sweep with the first three places in the race in the overall classification.

"It is great to be a small part of that success," says Vince Essex, commercial manager with Cello.

"We have plenty of experience of top sports as our clients include nine English Premier League football teams, two French top league sides, as well as the Football Association of Ireland."

Cello's BAe146 is configured in a luxury 46-seat configuration with beige leather seats and is capable of flying into airports with short runways and steep take off and landing profiles. "We take customers directly where they want to go avoiding lengthy and inconvenient land transfers," adds Essex.

Cello is optimistic about the future but is not complacent. "The economy is not going to recover overnight and travellers will continue to demand quality with competitive pricing," says Baines.

"But if we did not believe we can do well we would not have set out on this journey. We have the right business model, aircraft and, most important of all, the right people to make sustainable progress and grow the business." Negotiations for a second aircraft are well advanced.

Sourcing local in-flight foods

For in-flight catering Cello likes to source high quality fresh ingredients sourced from local suppliers close to its base in the West Midlands, such as Gourmet Foods based in the village of Knowle near Solihull and just a few miles from Birmingham Airport.

"Our clients not only want good food but also look for the personal touch and will often have special requirements," says Dean Hull, cabin services manager. "Some passengers such as footballers want a meal meeting specific energy needs."

Gourmet Foods is run by Fenella de Minckwitz who was trained by Daphne Holden and Rosemary Hume at the celebrated Cordon Bleu cookery school, Winkfield Place.

"Cello is a great client and the team love providing food that the passengers will enjoy and fits their dietary needs. We work very closely with the cabin services team to ensure that our menus are just right," says de Minckwitz.

"All meals are tailor made and delivered fresh just before take-off."

There is no such thing as a typical menu, says Cello, but a leading music band flying on tour were recently served marinated salmon with cucumber noodles and Piri Piri tomato salsa, brown rice with honey roast nuts and baby watercress, chickpea salad with bean sprouts, tomato and coriander micro cress, a tropical fruit platter and chocolate orange pots.