Highland Airways reports brisk charter demand for its Jetstream 41, newly-based in Edinburgh. The 19-seat aircraft operates corporate staff shuttle three days a week, but remains free for ad hoc charters on Wednesdays and Fridays and throughout the weekend. Highland Airways is also targeting services at sports teams and supporters.

Nicolas van der Meer, bdm, says: "The aircraft, new to Highland Airways, is a comfortable and cost effective turboprop which is perfect for group trips to the south, northern Europe and Scandinavia. With Edinburgh's growing status as a financial and administrative capital we expect demand to remain high."

Highland Airways, which is headquartered in Inverness with bases in Aberdeen, Lancashire, Wales and the Western Isles, has three smaller Jetstream 31s based outside of Scotland. "These aircraft augment their weekday work with leisure and sports related charters at the weekend," says charter manager Anne Maclennan.

Highland Airways, established in 1991, works for the Royal Mail and Scottish Daily Newspaper Society, delivering post and newspapers to the Scottish islands. It also operates three public service obligation scheduled service routes in Wales and Scotland, and has a further three aircraft dedicated to corporate staff shuttles for large multi-nationals. Additional work includes aerial reconnaissance services for the Fisheries Protection Agency and oil-related charter work out of Aberdeen.