A HAMPSHIRE helicopter charter company has felt a ‘Brexit boost’ with an increase in requests for business client flights and site tours across the UK.

With UK companies needing to reaffirm their relationships and trade deals with clients across the world, plus the low dollar making an investment in the UK an attractive proposition, the need quickly to transport potential business contacts across the UK is growing.

Based in Alton, Atlas Helicopters has been providing this type of service for more than 15 years, although the recent economic downturn had affected business’ attitude to domestic air travel.

Managing director Captain Mike Burns said: “Following Brexit, we have noticed an upturn in companies looking to fly international clients to meetings and also touring UK sites with investors. This is most welcome as there has been a reluctance make use of this form of travel since 2008’s economic woes saw a dip in corporate clients using helicopter travel for business opportunities.”

The types of requests include flights from central London and satellite airports to business meetings in the country, or taking interested parties to a collection of industrial sites dotted around the country in one day.

“Most recently, we arranged a tour of a company’s three UK industrial sites that ended at a country house hotel and restaurant,” said Capt Burns.

“Within a day they travelled 400 miles, starting in London and visited locations in Liverpool, Hull, Leeds with a final destination in Oxford for fine dining. It is the type of itinerary that can only a helicopter can complete.”

The tour is very similar to the one Atlas Helicopters organised for the publishers of author and comedian David Walliams. They needed him to visit six UK schools in one day. For that flight he travelled 445 miles between 8.30am and 4.10 pm – starting at Elstree in the morning, ending in Edinburgh in the afternoon, and achieving some great publicity.

This event is one of the few occasions Atlas Helicopters can make people aware of its clients’ activities. Discretion is part of the Atlas service and something, according to Capt Burns, that passengers prefer.

He added: “The increase in business flight requests has also been fuelled by airports such as TAG Farnborough and Bournemouth receiving more private intercontinental flights.

“The owners of these aircraft demand a quick and secure access to the rest of the UK.

“Helicopter travel provides a most useful service due to its ability to arrive very close to a designated location and avoid delays on the ground.”

Atlas Helicopters was established in 2001 and is owned by Capt Burns. The company provides a charter helicopter service across the UK and near Europe.

The company has a fleet of helicopters based at Lasham Airfield, near Alton.

Flights with Atlas Helicopters can be arranged to and from most airports and also from locations near to departure points such as large open spaces, playing fields and paddocks.

A flight from Farnborough Airport to London is around 15 minutes, London to Silverstone can take 30 minutes, London to the Isle of Wight 35 minutes, and London to Paris 90 minutes.