A version of this report is also available on flyertalk.
Last summer I was able to make an addition to my list of aviation novelties – one where I hadn’t previously flown the airline (Aurigny), aircraft (ATR72), or through either of the airports (EXT/GCI). The window of opportunity for some of those was slim: by the end of the year I’d racked up a dozen flights on the ATR72, half of them involving Exeter airport. By contrast, I think I am unlikely to repeat any of the components of this next novelty any time soon.
Despite a population of less than 10,000, the small town of Wick in the Scottish Highlands has an airport, with a single commercial flight – to Aberdeen. Cutting the five hour drive / seven hour train ride to just half an hour by air, this government-subsidised route thus provides a vital link between the Caithness region and the rest of Scotland. Or it did, until the operator, Eastern Airways, went into administration in October 2025.
An emergency procurement process saw Air Charter Scotland appointed as a replacement just before Christmas, with bookings opening January 6th for flights from the 12th. With the schedule running to the end of March, no departures on Saturdays, and a mere 18 seats on the Jetstream 32, it occurred to me that only a select few passengers would ever experience this exact combination of airline, aircraft and route. On January 9th I ensured I would be one of them by securing a ticket for mid March.
Given the speed of the launch – and that ACS was new to commercial aviation – it’s perhaps unsurprising that things didn’t go exactly to plan. Not yet having a Jetstream 32 in their fleet, nor the relevant air operator certificate, the plane and crew were initially to be wet-leased from AIS Airlines. But as they are based in the Netherlands, they couldn’t legally operate a domestic UK service, so Welsh airline DragonFly Executive had to be drafted in at even shorter notice. After a couple of days delay, the first flight took place on January 14th – using a King Air 200 configured for business travel, with just 7 seats! I’d have been more than happy to sample this even more exclusive service, but a regulatory change meant that AIS were finally able to commence operations on March 2nd – potentially for only a couple of dozen round trips.
With less than one flight per day on average, there’s not much demand for a bus link to Wick airport; fortunately it’s less than a mile from the town centre, so I simply walked. Arriving 90 minutes before departure is clearly far too early, but it meant I could briefly enjoy the status of “only passenger in the airport”.
At first it seemed that I was the only person in the airport, with the check in desk unsurprisingly vacant. Fortunately I was spotted by a member of staff, who emerged from an office to issue me with a hand-written (and misspelt!) boarding pass. They also let me know that today’s flight would be – by local standards – busy, with ten passengers expected.
The airside / landside distinctions are blurry at such a small airport: I’d encountered a similar arrangement at another Highlands and Islands facility, Barra, with most of the terminal area open to the public and security screening performed just before boarding. Barra at least had a café, whereas Wick only offers a couple of vending machines for snacks and hot drinks. The other shopping opportunities – attractively presented in a display cabinet – are limited to two local specialties: Scotch whisky, and Caithness glass. The latter originated in Wick, and the vintage pieces offered for sale here pre-date the factory’s closure in 2004. The single malts are even older.
The seating area – with far more seats than possible passengers! – has views of the apron, so I was able to spot our aircraft’s arrival just after 2pm. Half an hour later, security procedures began: one traveller is randomly selected for a full search and swab of their hold baggage, and today that was me. This complete, the whole group was invited through the door marked departures, for the usual screening – where I was once again subject to additional checks.
I had been assigned seat 2C, but on boarding it turned out I had the entire row to myself, and row 1 was unoccupied too. This was exciting as there’s no door separating the flight deck from the cabin on this aircraft, allowing for views out the front! A fellow avgeek did move up after the safety briefing, but we agreed to take it in turns to point our cameras forward.
Despite the name, the Jetstream 32 is a propeller plane, and these span into action a minute before our scheduled 3pm departure. Although my booking allotted almost an hour to reach Aberdeen, our estimated flying time was 25 minutes, and that proved accurate. Much of that was climb (to just 11,000 feet) or descent, with the seatbelt sign off for only eight minutes!
Significantly longer might be an ordeal – the engines are noisy, the windows are tiny, the ride is far from smooth. But I cared not at all, fascinated by being able to watch the pilots at work and the view through the windshield, particularly on the approach to Aberdeen.
As far as I can tell this is the only Jetstream 32 operating in Europe, so I’m glad I found, and took, this chance to experience it. More people should now be able to do so: the day after I flew, an extension of government funding through to mid August was announced. The longer-term future is unclear, but – even though the route is no longer novel – I’ll be keeping an eye on it for any other unfamiliar aircraft.