Rescue flights boost profits at Air Partner

Contracts to evacuate 12,000 Britons and others from countries involved in the Arab Spring helped charter group Air Partner today post a near-doubling of profit to £5.3 million.

It was hired by governments around the world - including the Foreign Office - plus corporates to rescue people from the Japanese and New Zealand earthquakes as well as unrest in the Middle East.

That helped revenues in the year to August rise 23% to £282 million.

Air Partner also announced chairman Aubrey Adams will stand down in "due course".

Adams is joining RBS with the brief of disposing of its troubled property assets.