Highland Airways is expanding its Jetstream 31 and 41 fleet to nine. "Our latest 41 is undergoing refurbishment and conversion from 29 seats to 19," says Anne Maclennan who runs the company's charter sales.

"It will initially be available full-time for charter but the level of enquiries suggests that it may be taken for corporate or contract charter sooner rather than later." Delivery is now expected to take place in the late autumn or early 2009 and it will join the Inverness-headquartered company's current fleet of seven Jetstream 31s and an Edinburgh-based 41.

Highland Airways, with bases in Scotland, England and Wales, carries out a mix of public services, particularly "lifeline" services to remote communities, and corporate and ad hoc charter.

"Many of our aircraft are fulfilling weekday corporate, or scheduled, charter commitments but they are often free for ad hoc charter at evenings and weekends," Maclennan says. "This generally off-peak spare capacity attracts enquiries for wedding parties, sports events, fishing trips, property inspections and tours including whisky groups visiting island distilleries and special events."

More unusual charter requests have included "seal to seal refuge" transport, fish eggs transported via Copenhagen to South America, and the moving of elk to a Scottish estate for a project aimed at re-establishing the natural wildlife, "some accomplished with brokered aircraft" adds Maclennan. Other business areas will be added.

Basil O'Fee, director, says: "I can confirm that we are in talks with the Scottish Rugby Union for a charter arrangement but I must add that the details are still being finalised. The arrangement would involve helping island teams and opposition teams on the mainland fulfill fixtures that currently suffer because of the expense of scheduled services, or the time taken utilising ferry trips."

The company's conversion of J41 aircraft to vip 19-seat configurations means the Jetstreams can use more widely available private airfield facilities anywhere in the UK while larger than 19-seat passenger loads face restrictions under the National Aviation Security Programme. The conversion also permits very generous personal luggage allowances popular with golfers, skiers and the like.

"Demand is always higher than we can meet," says O'Fee. "This is why we will be bringing another aircraft on stream towards the end of this year."