This Essex-based firm, which supplies and repairs spare parts for commercial aircraft, saw its market heavily affected just as it reported sales of £7.1m in the year to March. The airlines that make up the bulk of its customers are flying at about 30% to 45% of last year’s schedules, so to diversify it started supplying spares for military aircraft, and updated its stock in anticipation of an upswing next year. Technical director Graham Higgins, 46, launched the company in 2005 with his wife Eleanor Bradley, 53, who is operations director.