Swine Flu Boosts Charter Operators As Airlines Lose Top Fliers

Swine flu is helping charter operators like Air Charter Services Plc and Jet Direct Service Ltd. win top-paying business travelers from the major airlines as the global spread of the pandemic accelerates.

Revenue at Air Charter, a Kingston upon Thames, England- based operator with $200 million in annual sales, increased at an average rate of 32 percent month-on-month from May to August, Chief Executive Officer Tony Bauckham said.