ITS headline-grabbing pitch was to provide a luxury air travel service from Hampshire for super-rich, cosseted celebrities.

Now Club328, which employs 50 people at Southampton Airport and wants to recruit 36 more, has ditched what it considers to be a misleading public image.

The private jet charter firm is instead focusing on time-pressed executives from blue-chip companies, along with brokers and wealthy individuals.

It claims that prices - between £2,000 and £4,000 an hour for up to 15 people - and time flexibility compare favourably with scheduled carriers.

"We think there is a big market," said new chief executive Mike Farge.

He stressed: "We do not want to go down the road of celebrities. We do not want this to look like a boys' club. It is a very serious business."

Unveiling a new strategy at the firm's giant hangar, he also spoke of doubling the aircraft fleet to ten by December.

Mr Farge highlighted Club328's successful weekly charter flights to Holland with electronics giant Philips, which has 510 staff at a design base in Southampton.

The company, financed by the Bank of Scotland, is also diversifying into third-party aircraft maintenance with sister business Jet Engineering Technical Support (JETS).

Club328 has 16 engineers and a unique tracking system to show clients what work is being done on what section, for how long and by whom.

According to Mr Farge, JETS is cost competitive because engineers, on annualised pay, only work when aircraft need maintaining.

JETS, which intends to recruit 36 specialist engineers, is in talks with at least ten potential customers.

It is understood that contracts for work on three aircraft, including one from India, have already been landed, with work beginning on one from tomorrow.

In the past, celebrities paid 328,000 euros to access an exclusive jet-set lifestyle - but that was canned because of a lack of take-up.

A frequent flyer club is now in place, with clients able to block-book hours on sleek aircraft like the Hawker 125.

Farge took over last month as chief executive of Club328, which is named after a type of aircraft and has clients including supermodel Jodie Kidd and veteran film director Michael Winner.

He replaced Warren Seymour, who moved to the Isle of Wight to run regional air services provider EuroManx, a sister business.