Air Charter Scotland has upgraded the Wick-Aberdeen-Wick PSO route with the start of Jetstream J32 services this week, increasing the number of available seats to 18. 

Glasgow-based Air Charter Scotland, a leading on-demand charter operator, has been contracted with Highland Council to serve the route. It started flying the service on January 15 with a Beechcraft King Air 200. This lifeline route for the community of Caithness had paused for several months following Eastern Airways’ closure in October 2025.

Reliability with the King Air has been very good; it has regularly been carrying passengers back and forth to the Scottish mainland. With the start of Spring and increased demand, the J32 arrives at the right time. The alternative to the just under an hour flight is a near five-hour car journey.

The Jetstream J32 is now operating under a wet lease from AIS Flight Academy & AIS Airlines of the Netherlands. The regular flights depart from Wick at 0800hrs and Aberdeen at 0930 hrs Sunday to Friday, with fares starting from £89.99 one way and £119.99 fully flex. This is a return to its roots for the 18-seat Jetstream J32 turboprop, originally built at Prestwick, Scotland, by British Aerospace.

“Passengers have loved the King Air,” said Air Charter Scotland COO Derek Thomson. “Everyone in our team is most grateful to DragonFly Executive Air Charter, which stepped up with the King Air, when at the 11th hour, Border Force rejected European/EASA pilots flying for us. We’re now delighted to be able to offer a greater number of seats on each flight for the Wick-Aberdeen PSO on the Jetstream J32, providing even more people with links to the Caithness community with quick, convenient transport between the far north of Scotland and the major city.”

Book the Wick-Aberdeen PSO with Air Charter Scotland.

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Fly Legal Day is an important moment for the aviation community to reaffirm its commitment to safety, professionalism and regulatory compliance. For operators and travellers alike, understanding what constitutes a legal charter flight is essential. Illegal charter operations may bypass vital safety checks, pilot licensing requirements, aircraft maintenance standards and insurance protections.

These shortcuts can place passengers at serious risk and undermine the high standards upheld by responsible, fully certified operators across the industry such as Air Charter Scotland. By raising awareness and encouraging informed decision-making, Fly Legal Day plays a vital role in protecting travellers and we strongly support it.

Air Charter Scotland successfully operated the first of its Wick-Aberdeen PSO flights on the morning of January 14th, on time and to schedule, restoring vital connectivity between the far north of Scotland and the rest of the UK.

The route commenced with the reliable business aircraft King Air 200 turboprop, chartered from UK operator DragonFly. This offers space for seven, ensuring that this PSO could be reinstated in accordance with Air Charter Scotland’s government contract.

The Wick–Aberdeen PSO air service is a lifeline route for the region, providing essential, affordable and accessible connectivity for those who live in, work in, and visit the far north.

The flight schedule consists of six return journeys per week: early morning flights from Monday to Thursday support business, healthcare access, and onward connections from Aberdeen throughout the week; an early evening departure on Fridays and a late afternoon return on Sunday supports weekend leisure and commuting travel between Wick and Aberdeen.

Air Charter Scotland, revered in the executive jet market, is underlining its commitment to expanding into regular air service flying as it seeks to add a larger Jetstream J32 to its Air Operator Certificate. This aircraft will provide space for 18 passengers each way on this essential service for the Caithness communities when it takes over the route from 1st March.

Derek Thomson, Chief Operating Officer at Air Charter Scotland, said:

“Air Charter Scotland Ltd is delighted to have been awarded the Wick–Aberdeen–Wick PSO air service. We are proud to support the people of the Caithness community by keeping this vital air link flying and providing a service the region can truly be proud of. This has been a real team effort in a relatively short space of time, with many people and organisations working tirelessly behind the scenes to make this possible. We look forward to serving the local community – with the King Air 200 initially and then the 18 seat Jetstream J32, which we are also in the process of adding to our own Air Operator’s Certificate.”

Councillor Raymond Bremner, Leader of The Highland Council, Chair of the Wick John O’ Groats Airport Consultative Committee and local member for Wick and East Caithness, said:

“Having a reliable air link from the far north to central Scotland is key to growing our local economy, improving connectivity and supporting the sustainability of our communities. I would like to thank council officers, Air Charter Scotland, Transport Scotland, the Department for Transport, and the Civil Aviation Authority for their tireless efforts to ensure services recommence on 14 January 2026.”

Wick-Aberdeen PSO Flight Schedule as of 14/01/2026:

Monday – Thursday

WIC → ABZ Depart 08:00 Arrive 08:55
ABZ → WIC Depart 09:30 Arrive 10:25

Friday

WIC → ABZ Depart 18:00 Arrive 18:55
ABZ → WIC Depart 19:30 Arrive 20:25

Sunday

WIC → ABZ Depart 15:00 Arrive 15:55
ABZ → WIC Depart 16:30 Arrive 17:25

Prices from £75.99 one-way. Book your Wick-Aberdeen PSO flight now.