Multi award-winning aircraft charter company, Air Charter Service, has announced that the first quarter of its financial year was a record for the company – and was particularly good for its cargo division.

Dan Morgan-Evans, the company’s Group Cargo Director, said: “In the first quarter of the year we saw a 33% increase in cargo charter numbers on the previous year – we arranged 1,048 contracts, compared to 790 during the same period last year. Our turnover for the cargo division was also up by a very respectable 12%, to £41.5 million ($56.4 million).

“When you bear in mind that 2017 was our record year across all divisions and exceeded even our wildest expectations, the growth shown so far this year is even more remarkable. The other thing to note is that February to April is the quietest quarter for much of the industry, with cargo charters often half their autumn and winter peaks.

“Our onboard courier department also continues to flourish since its restructuring three years ago. Bookings were up 10% year on year, averaging more than 150 jobs every month and revenue grew by 8%. The German headquarters of the division is moving into new offices in Frankfurt next month to allow the team to grow further.

“All departments experienced double digit growth in both charter numbers and revenue, with group turnover topping £100 million for the three month period.”