Air Charter Scotland is expanding its fleet to offer direct flights from Scotland to sunny destinations in Europe including Malaga and Gibraltar.

It is taking delivery of a Citation 525A. Operations manager Derek Thompson said: "We are hoping to take delivery at the end of this year or the beginning of next year."

The new aircraft will take the fleet to nine managed and owned aircraft. These include three Citation 525s, four Cessna 310s. A managed King Air 200, sold recently, will be replaced during June 2006.

Two of the Cessnas are based in Glasgow and two in Perth with the other aircraft handling flights in the London area and Cambridge.

Thompson said: "We are building our national network and out services. We already do direct flights from London. But our business in Scotland certainly demands that we can offer the same."

Flights from Scotland currently have to refuel. "The CJ2 would manage the distance from Scotland to Malaga and beyond quite comfortably. It has a range of around 1600 nm. We could take three or four passengers and cut the flying time."

Air Charter Scotland has moved its offices from Prestwick airport to Perth. The move follows the purchase of a 25,000 square foot hangar from MF Aviation. Air Charter Engineering, which provides third party maintenance facilities, operates out of the hangar. The charter headquarters has been moved alongside.

Thompson said: "We had two bases. We now have one. It's far more efficient."

Thompson estimated that 75 to 80 per cent of Air Charter Scotland's business was sourced through brokers. "There is demand for leisure and business - it is a complete mix," he said.