Palmair unveils a new plane at Bournemouth Airport

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The plane emblazoned with the name "Palmair" in bright red along the fuselage and proudly carrying the Union Flag on its tail fin was spectacularly enveiled by the country's smallest airline in a hangar at Bournemouth Airport last night.

The naming of the £8million Boeing 737-500 was special because it has been named "The Spirit of Peter Bath" in honour of the late founder of Palmair.

Mr Bath died in 2006 and the ceremony was performed by his widow Liz. Mr Bath's son Stephen, the joint Managing Director of Bath travel told guests "This aircraft honours a very special person. Without him, there would have been no Palmair for the past 51 years and no airport either, because for six years, the only operator here was Palmer."

He continued: This is the best aircraft we've ever had but its the people who work for the company that make it what it is, especially our award winning cabin crew.

David Skillicorn, Palmair's Managing Director said the plane's longer range would allow the company to operate routes "we would never have dreamed of. You'll notice a website address painted on the side, flypalmair.co.uk, but that doesn't mean we are losing our traditions. We won't charge passengers for baggage, for providing a meal or for using the poilets."

"This is a major investment by Palmair at a difficult time for the aviation industry as a whole. It shows we mean business."