Air Charter Service (ACS) has got off to a record start in 2018 with a record first quarter driven by a particularly strong cargo division.

The cargo division saw a 33 per cent increase in the number of charters, arranging 1,048 contracts compared to 790 in the same period of the previous year.

Cargo turnover was also up 12 per cent to £41.5 million.

ACS group cargo director, Dan Morgan-Evans says: “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.

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

Morgan-Evans also says that all departments experienced double digit growth in charter numbers and revenue, with turnover topping £100 million for the three month period.