FLYGLOBESPAN, the Scottish low-cost airline, has clinched deals to lease up to four of its aircraft to Chilean Airways over the winter months.

Two of the airline’s 737-300s will fly for Chilean Airways until next summer. A further two will join the Chilean fleet for two months early next year.

The deal is the latest move by the airline to utilise its aircraft over the slower winter months as the industry faces increasing pressure from soaring fuel costs and the economic slowdown.

A two-year leasing contract with the Ministry of Defence flying twice-weekly from the UK to the Falkland Islands began last week.

Flyglobepsan also has another 737-300 on charter in Egypt, a bigger 757 flying from Birmingham to India and other leasing deals in the South Pacific and Oman.

“These leases are a very good means of generating income during what is traditionally a difficult time for the UK holiday trade,” said Flyglobespan’s owner Tom Dalrymple.

"While other carriers have to mothball parts of their fleet during winter, we are making the best use of our assets.”

The airline has denied that it is facing similar problems as collapsed rivals Zoom and XL. Dalrymple said Flyglobespan’s model is totally different: it has no debt and is on course to make a profit this year.

“Despite some negative comments and innuendo in a recent media story, the company and the airline are extremely well positioned to see through the well documented problems facing the industry at present,” he said.

“Our advanced sales are ahead of plan and we have already announced an expansion to our Aberdeen services as well as new routes from both Glasgow and Edinburgh.”

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