A Citation VI and a Dornier 328 are the latest aircraft to join the fleet of Solid Airline in the Netherlands. Both aircraft will be used for executive charter and were chosen for their range and stand-up cabins.

“The Dornier is a big, beautiful aircraft that normally carries 35 passengers, but we will be accommodating about 19 passengers. A lot of clients want a lot of space these days and, as it can cover 1800nm, it will be a great asset.”

The company is planning to acquire two more aircraft at the beginning of 2006, but managing director Huub Van Den Hout would not reveal which types they would be.

One of the major issues for charter operators at the moment is the huge rise in fuel prices, which Van Den Hout claims has risen by 45 per cent since the beginning of the year.

“You can’t always pass on the cost to your customers,” he says. “We’ve been flying a lot more than normal just so that we can break even, but it’s unlikely that the fuel prices will go down again. Things that increase rarely go back down again. Fuel is naturally very important to us but it is very expensive.”

Nevertheless, Solid has invested funds into repainting its fleet in a new colour scheme. The first aircraft to be painted was last month and over the coming four to five months, the company’s other aeroplanes will undergo the same treatment, Van Den Hout confirmed.