Air Charter Scotland, which operates ten Citations, would like to add longer range jets to its fleet, according to operations director Derek Thomson. "We are also considering setting up a base in the south of France, to serve established demand in and around Nice," he adds.

Thomson reports that demand for private charter in the UK is recovering, despite the setbacks to business caused by the Icelandic volcano, and that is why the company is in the process of expanding its fleet. "We have a good mix of Citations including the CJ1, CJ2, CJ3 and Excel but heavy jets would add a new dimension to the fleet," Thomson says.

Air Charter Scotland, whose main base is at London Luton, reports a strong demand for holiday and leisure charter as well as corporate traffic. "There is a business requirement for road shows where our aircraft are needed for three or four days at a time," Thomson says. "Our Excel is very popular. Private charter business has been helped by the fact that airlines are not operating so many routes. Popular destinations range from Chambery to Geneva and from Malaga to Ibiza and Nice, but longer range jets would enable us to serve other markets such as the Middle East."